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Nyachae’s retirement leaves Ford-P destitute
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- Published on Tuesday, 30 December 2008 21:23
Nyachae was largely the sole financier of the party, which will now have to find means of raising money to meet the conditions, including the Sh600,000 registration fee. With his departure, questions linger how the party can re-engineer itself to participate effectively in the 2012 General Election.
After he lost the Nyaribari-Chache seat last year, Nyachae was left with the party leadership slot only. And to many supporters he was the face of the party. Several leaders in Kisii who joined the then little known party to ride on Nyachae’s influence have decamped to other parties. Notable is Nyachae’s former ally and Kitutu-Chache MP Jimmy Angwenyi.
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Angwenyi told The Standard on Sunday he left Ford-People for PNU where he is now gunning for a national post. "I am no longer in Ford-People. I have left and I am aware Mzee Nyachae who built the party to national status has also left, but that does not mean it is dead," he said. Assistant Minister Joel Onyancha, the only Ford-People MP from Kisii, said despite Nyachae’s departure, the party would remain strong.
"Nyachae was a key member, but his departure does not mean the death of the party," he said. The Bomachoge MP said besides him, Ford-People had two other MPs Gonzi Rai and Peter Mwathi. "Besides the three of us who are MPs, we have several civic leaders and our grassroots leaders are still intact," he said.
He said he was confident the party would hold under the leadership of East African Legislative Assembly MP Reuben Oyondi. "Mr Oyondi, our chairman, is an able leader and Ford-People will meet the requirements of the Political Parties’ Act," he said. Nyachae wrote to the party secretariat on October 19, informing them of his decision to quit. He reportedly turned down pleas by panicking officials to stay on.
The officials were scared of Nyachae’s withdrawal of his financial support. The wealthy politician used his personal resources to see the party through many challenges. His departure, therefore, leaves the party with a huge dent financially and politically.
In the 2002 General Election, Ford-People had 15 MPs, with Nyachae gunning for the presidency. In the last elections, however, the party bagged a paltry three seats. But party secretary general Munialo Opar is not worried. He says the party will remain strong and there were plans to take it through a post-Nyachae era.
He says 80 branches that had been abandoned by officials who defected to other parties had been revived and slots filled. Leaders who left the party soon before the last elections included chairman Farah Maalim, the National Assembly Deputy Speaker. "We will give the party to young people capable of turning it around to compete effectively in the next General Election," said Opar.
Nyachae had a colourful career in the Civil Service as DC, PC and the chief Secretary under former presidents Kenyatta and Moi. Upon retirement, Nyachae was easily elected MP for Nyaribari-Chache in 1992, and was subsequently appointed to the Cabinet by Moi, first as minister for Agriculture and in 1998 as Finance Minister.
However, in 1999, he fell out with Moi and resigned from the Cabinet, after he was moved to the lesser powerful Ministry of Industry. He ditched Kanu to join Ford-People, whose presence then was felt in Central Province through politician Kimani wa Nyoike. It will remain to be seen if the party’s slogan of ‘Ford-People, Watu, Wengi, Watu Wengi Sana will live up to the challenge and survive Nyachae’s exit.
