Political Parties await 'harvest' from Jubilee strongholds after merger

Deputy president William Ruto at the Jubillee delegates meeting at Kasarani stadium on 9th September 2016 [PHOTO:DAVID GICHURU/Standard]

At least four parties from Jubilee strongholds are angling themselves to benefit from the ‘twin blessings’ of fallouts from the merger and forced ban on party hopping.

With history of dubious primaries in popular parties on their side and a more enlightened electorate to bail them out, the parties cannot wait to reap from an anticipated fallout. And they are saying as much.

The common denominator for all the parties lying in wait is their direct — and in some cases implied — support for Jubilee presidential ticket of President Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto as his deputy.

In the Deputy President’s Rift Valley backyard, independence party Kanu and Bomet Governor Isaac Ruto’s Chama cha Mashinani are likely to reap big from any disenfranchisement caused by dissolution of the United Republican Party (URP).

“People are wondering what this Jubilee Party is. They are now trooping back home to the Jogoo party and they will be surprised, Kanu will be the party to beat in Rift Valley and nationally,” said West Pokot Senator John Lonyangapuo.

Kanu has six legislators, a governor and several members of county assembly in the region.

With URP now gone, CCM says it will push harder to popularise itself riding on the vacuum left by the Jubilee parties. “We want to push for more representation of the grass root citizens in decision making, more attention to health, education, better roads, opportunities for youths among others,” said Ruto.

The governor claimed top Jubilee leadership already has a list of preferred candidates for various elective positions.

The same sentiments are shared by Meru Governor Peter Munya who resisted the folding up of Alliance Party of Kenya (APK) until he was shoved aside. Munya, who is now cohabiting with the Party of National Unity (PNU), said Jubilee has neither the interest nor the will to conduct free and fair nominations.

“We will take advantage of the fall out to offer leaders opportunity to compete at the ballot. Politics is about seizing advantages. Jubilee has rolled back the democratic clock and reduced Kenya’s political space against our wishes and advice. We are offering that space,” Munya said.

Clause 5 of the draft Jubilee Party Nomination Rules 2016 appears to support Ruto and Munya’s sentiments. Clause 5.1 says the party’s National Executive Council (NEC) shall be responsible for receiving and considering the various “Provisional Party Nomination Lists” from the National Elections Board.

It shall also give “overriding directions and guidelines and final determination and approval of the National Assembly, gubernatorial, Senate, county assembly and nomination lists.”

But it is Clause 5.1.2 which seals the deal for NEC as the ultimate power broker in the party:

“NEC has the power to raise objections in respect of any candidate presented for party nomination before or after the nomination on the ground that the candidature of such person(s) is not in tandem with The Party’s principles and aspirations.”

The clause, however, says that such candidates shall have an opportunity to make representations before the NEC for consideration before a final decision is made.

Undue influence

But Johnson Sakaja, former chairman of the now dissolved TNA, said nothing could be further from truth.  “They will be surprised if they are expecting any fallout. Usually, the biggest fear people have is for undue influence usually exerted on top party leadership to sway things one way or the other. We are dealing a blow to this by drawing in Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC),” said Sakaja, who is eyeing the city’s gubernatorial seat.

The MP said a decision to bring in IEBC to conduct party primaries is unstoppable and will replace every other provision in party rules or constitution that contradicts it. He says Jubilee will stop at nothing, including amending the IEBC law, to draw them into primaries.

Another Jubilee-affiliate party of note and which refused to merge is Democratic Party (DP) founded by former President Mwai Kibaki. It’s a party to watch in Central.

The DP has been opening branch offices across the Mt Kenya region. This week, it said it will field candidates for all positions in the country except for the presidency since they would support the incumbent.

“We will not field a candidate for the presidency but we are calling on President Kenyatta to vie on a DP ticket,” said Esau Kioni, the party’s national chairman.

Speaking in Mombasa, DP officials said they will neither dissolve nor join Jubilee but will support President Kenyatta’s re-election bid.

DP Secretary General Yacub Haji said merging of parties was uncalled for since it was a way of taking the country back to the dark days.

According to Emurua-Dikirr MP Johanna Ng’eno, a mass merger of willing parties is not necessarily a bad idea. He however says no one should be coerced into joining or breaking up their parties. “People should be allowed to independently choose,” he said.

Additional reporting by Kelvin Karani and Willis Oketch