Kanu is still my vehicle to State House, declares Uhuru

By VITALIS KIMUTAI

Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta will fight to succeed President Kibaki using Kanu or some coalition in which the Independence party is a key player.

Faced with claims he has forsaken the party that counts among its founders his father and Kenya’s first President Kenyatta, Uhuru made it clear Kanu is at the heart of his strategy.

The Gatundu South MP has three options through which he hopes to lead Kanu back to power, a decade after the National Rainbow Coalition vanquished it, either independently or through a pre-election or post-election coalition.

"The Kanu constitution will provide for mergers, but we will make sure our party takes the lead in such arrangement,’’ Uhuru announced after leaving the National Executive Council and Parliamentary Group meeting in Naivasha.

With his plans focused on next year’s elections, it was also announced Kanu will work with like-minded leaders, an option that will allow it to operate with groups like the G7 alliance, to which Uhuru belongs, and which counts among its members Eldoret North MP William Ruto, Vice-President, Kalonzo Musyoka, Saboti MP Eugene Wamalwa and Cabinet minister Chirau Ali Mwakwere.

The party will also mobilise funds to take advantage of technology and the digital revolution to open a television station, radio station, run its own newspaper and acquire its own printing press.

Electoral chances

During the Naivasha retreat, the party also proposed setting up an advisory council of seven ministries, namely Secretary of Administration of Justice and Legal Affairs, Secretary for Public Policy, Economic Affairs and Devolution.

The party will also have Secretary for Information and Media Relations, Secretary for Environment, Wildlife Conservation and Tourism, Secretary for Education, Research and Technology, Secretary for Labour and Industrial Relations and Secretary for International Affairs.

Other resolutions agreed at Naivasha were that the party would strive to comply with the Constitution, the new Political Parties Act, Independent Elections Board Act and the Elections Act.

To try and enhance its electoral chances and that of its presidential flag-bearer, the Jogoo party resolved to begin earnestly recruiting members, identifying suitable candidates at all levels and to making sure it holds free and fair elections.

In addition to the seven-member advisory council Kanu now proposes to have a County Assembly Forum, which is an organ of the party grassroots level. It will have members operating from the ward level because county representatives will be elected from the wards.

The position of Secretary General currently held by former Bomet MP Nick Salat, will now be renamed General Secretary and will be given to a full-time employee.

The party will also have a Governor’s forum to bring together governors who will be elected on Kanu ticket.

This will be the team the party will rely on in matters related Devolution because Governors will best placed to handle issues related to resource distribution in Counties.

To achieve all those objectives, Kanu plans to revise its constitution so as to align it with the Political Parties Act and Elections Act. "That will enable Kanu to fix a permanent date for holding elections,’’ read the proposal.

The party will also now comply with the new Constitution so that no State officer will hold a party position in Kanu and those seeking Presidential office must also resign party positions.

Meanwhile, a vote-hunting mission for 2012 presidential hopeful Uhuru Kenyatta in Kisii was canceled at the last minute as reality of the new Elections Act sunk among politicians.

It bans participation in harambees for those seeking elective positions eight months elections, and because it is not clear when elections will be held until next month’s court ruling, Uhuru is said to have decided to cancel his appearance so as not be accused of breaching the law later. The new Elections Act came into effect on December 14.

Popular candidate

This was the third Finance minister was visiting vote-rich Kisii bloc which his confidants reveal is a key plank in his quest to succeed Kibaki.

The well-publicised rally and harambee rolled into one was set to project Uhuru as the most popular candidate in the region.

A dispatch by Uhuru’s spokesman, Mr Munyori Buku on Saturday confirmed the minister was to be accompanied in the harambee by Education Minister Sam Ongeri, former Cabinet Minister Simeon Nyachae, Kitutu Masaba MP Walter Nyambati, East African Legislative Assembly member Reuben Oyondi, Ford People national chairman Henry Obwocha, and Nyaribari Chache MP Robert Monda who was elected on a Narc ticket, an affiliate of ODM.

The DPM’s advance team was already on the ground all set for the big day until around 11am when the changes were communicated to the gathering.

Contacted, Prof Ongeri explained they were all set for the function but later learnt that people keen on frustrating Uhuru’s presidential ambitions were planning to document the meeting and later use it to frustrate his bid. "We respect the rule of law, that is why we shelved the event until when election date has determined by the court," Ongeri told The Standard.

"If caution is not observed, one can easily find himself locked out of the General Election given that the court is yet to give a verdict on the matter," he explained Ongeri.