Kalonzo tests political waters with calls for KKK alliance

By Oscar Obonyo

What began as a quest for a ‘double K’ alliance by junior politicians has taken a new dimension.

Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka has upped the political stakes with talk of a ‘triple K’ alliance.

Initially coined to bring together members of the Kikuyu and Kalenjin communities, Kalonzo has now added to the mix his Kamba community in his tribal formula to State House.

Speaking last week in Kangundo District during distribution of seeds for planting ahead of the expected El Nino rains, the VP explained the alliance "was meant to unite the people of Rift Valley, Central and Eastern provinces following post-election violence that rocked some parts of the country."

Strong movement

"The alliance will later be transformed into a strong political movement that will seek votes from Kenyans for the 2012 General Election,’’ he said.

Pointedly, the VP spoke in the presence of Rift Valley political supremo, Agriculture Minister William Ruto.

The third player in the ‘K’ equation is Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta.

Nominated MP Musa Sirma believes the VP is only but testing the waters: "Kalonzo is trying to satisfy himself that he has the numbers but in reality, he has simply released a balloon into the air to gauge its direction."

But Sirma does not rule out the possibility of a Kalonzo-Uhuru-Ruto alliance: "Where there is smoke there must be fire," he quips.

But terming the timing of the VP’s sentiments as "unfortunate", Cherengany MP Joshua Kutuny says Kalonzo should be uniting the country instead of creating regional rifts to exploit.

"Nobody is denying the fact that as members of the Kalenjin community, we shall enter into political alliances with Kenyans from other regions. But honestly, this is the wrong time to engage in such talk," says Kutuny.

Lately, the VP has been on the forefront calling for unity, among PNU allied leaders. Only recently, he suggested at a public rally that he was working closely with Uhuru and Internal Security Minister George Saitoti ahead of the 2012 polls.

By virtue of being the President’s principal deputy and belonging to his PNU wing of Government, Kalonzo is first on line in the Kibaki succession. However, the VP is not an outright favourite for president.

If the tribal and regional voting bloc patterns are sustained, observers say chances the VP can finish ahead of Prime Minister Raila Odinga, his deputies Uhuru, and Musalia Mudavadi are minimal.

Observers also not his chances of survival in a situation where all the key political figures make it to the ballot paper are slim as his presidential hopes solely lie in a coalition arrangement — a factor that he appreciates.

Lately, he has been working overdrive to win over new regional allies. This partly explains why he has quietly discarded his ODM-Kenya outfit to embrace the larger PNU. In a hint that things may be moving in his favour, Kutuny says voters from his community will work with politicians who are supportive of interests of residents of Rift Valley. Kalonzo has particularly been cautious in handling issues fronted in Parliament by Rift Valley MPs.

weigh options

"As a community, we have experienced trying times and will accordingly look for those who have stood by us on the Mau Forest and post-election violence. We shall weigh our options on those who told us ‘carry your own cross’ and shun those who did not respect our views," Kutuny told The Standard on Sunday.

But Sirma points out that Rift Valley residents are independent minded and mostly think ahead of politicians. "In 2007, for instance, we wanted to take them in a different direction only for us to make an about turn because they had decided to support the Prime Minister."

Sirma says three voting blocs exist in the Rift Valley at the moment — those who support Raila, Ruto and former President Moi.

"Whichever of these two blocs that will unite will take control of Rift Valley wholly and emerge victor," says Sirma.

A politician from Ukambani argues PNU’s best bet for 2012 lies in the VP: "As a community, we may not have the numbers comparable to some of our partners in PNU. But with the (Jomo) Kenyatta presidency at independence and now (Mwai) Kibaki, I doubt that Kenyans will willingly back another individual from that community."

Former Gatanga MP David Murathe adds, "What is important is for PNU affiliate parties to strengthen their political base to make a credible stab at the presidency."

Break up of ODM

The politician observes, this time around, PNU must cobble together a strong outfit that can win.

"We are in the current political quagmire because there was no clear winner in the 2007 polls. In the coming elections, we want a lead that will leave an iota of doubt as to who is rightly in office as President," Murathe told The Standard on Sunday.

Nonetheless, Murathe is alive to the fact that PNU faces a Herculean task. Unlike the rival ODM that has "more or less arrived on a single presidential candidate, everybody in PNU wants to be on the ballot paper in 2012".

When he insisted on being ODM’s presidential flag bearer in 2007, he was a backbencher.

He had been kicked out of the Cabinet alongside Raila and other LDP allied MPs in the Ninth Parliament following Government’s defeat in the constitutional referendum in 2005.

Kalonzo is several ladders ahead of everyone else in PNU as the VP, and dissuading him from vying for the top seat or supporting another candidate is unthinkable.

But the VP has a history to handle: The break up of the original ODM-Kenya and his rush to negotiate an alliance with Kibaki’s PNU, even as the President stood accused on have rigged election to hang onto power.