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Kibaki Allies Groping for New Coalition to Counter ODM-K

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Published on Monday, 02 July 2007 04:40

President Mwai Kibaki could have changed his mind over how to retain his seat in the General Election due next year. The President has asked ministers Mrs Charity Ngilu, Mr Simeon Nyachae and Mr Musikari Kombo to revive the National Rainbow Coalition and rope in Ford-People as a constituent party in preparation for elections.

Reliable sources told The Sunday Standard that the President has met and assured the ministers that he does not recognise Narc-Kenya. He mandated them to look for a vehicle for the General Election. The development has cut short Ngilu's flirtation with Orange Democratic Movement-Kenya as it promises her a prominent role in the coming elections, unlike in ODM where she was to come as an individual and play second fiddle to her nemesis Mr Kalonzo Musyoka.

So keen is Ngilu on the deal that to assure Kibaki that she is not moving to ODM-Kenya, her party is said to have replaced political activist Mr Tony Gachoka as its representative in the on-going constitutional reform talks. The Sunday Standard established that Nominated MP Ms Cecily Mbarire has replaced Gachoka as NPK's representative. But Gachoka denied that he has been replaced. Gachoka said he had missed two sessions because he was not keen to attend. "I will start attending so that I can end this speculation. But I have problems with the legitimacy of what is going on at KICC. When I keep off, it is not right for my detractors to claim I have been replaced. There will be no constitution out of KICC. I have elected not to participate in an illegal process," he said."Kibaki is seriously considering reviving Narc as a coalition. He wants to stick to Narc and incorporate Nyachae. He accepts that Narc-Kenya is largely seen as DP," said an MP, familiar with the goings on.The move will leave hitherto excited Narc-Kenya members dumbfounded but sources tell The Sunday Standard that the President expects them to switch gear with him.

Narc-Kenya was launched in March amid assurances from its leaders that it had Kibaki's blessings. In a statement issued a week before the launch, assistant minister Mr Danson Mungatana said: "We want to confirm officially that we have the blessings and support of the President. We want to assure our supporters that the President will speak about this at the appropriate time."At a later function where the party unveiled its vision, Vice-President Mr Moody Awori also announced that Kibaki 'sympathised' with the party. "We are lucky that His Excellency the President identifies himself with this new party," Awori said, at a Narc-Kenya function at the Kenya School of Law.

Kombo and Ngilu were furious with the President's move and threatened to severe links with him. Ngilu went ahead and snubbed a slot in the House Business Committee because of the issue.Tomorrow, Nyachae, Kombo and Ngilu are expected to address a rally in Kisii to begin their campaign for Kibaki's re-election.Ministers and Members of Parliament from Ford-People, Ford-Kenya and National Party of Kenya are expected to hold a rally in Kisii to begin campaigns for Kibaki's re-election.Ngilu, Kombo and Nyachae are expected at the rally to be held tomorrow. West Mugirango MP Mr Henry Obwocha confirmed that the new alliance's public rallies would kick off tomorrow."We are taking our agenda to the public and we will tell Kenyans more, and why we feel our alliance is the best alternative," Obwocha said.

Orange Democratic Movement leaders, however, maintained that that the new grouping has links with Narc-Kenya and is part of President Kibaki's attempt to mould a survival kit for next year's elections. They termed it politics of survival. While the alliance of Kombo, Ngilu and Nyachae is being touted as a rival and a threat to Narc-Kenya, ODM secretary general Prof Anyang' Nyong'o and presidential aspirant Mr Chris Okemo, said the two are linked.

"Kibaki came to power through a coalition. But he never had respect for parties and instead tried to kill them and institutionalise imperial presidency. Kibaki abandoned the coalition and came up with something called Government of National Unity," Nyong'o said."Then he came up with Narc-Kenya, which he thought would be a powerful, all sweeping party that could take him to State House. He now realises no single party can win elections. Kibaki is now trying to get another coalition that can give him the Presidency."

"These are opportunistic moves. We are just watching to see what other opportunistic move he makes next. Whatever he does, we will defeat Kibaki. We must stop opportunists from running this country," he added.Okemo said he found the emergence of the new grouping "curious"."They are trying to copy the original National Rainbow Coalition. The NPK, Ford-Kenya and Ford-People are trying to constitute themselves then link up with the Democratic Party and support Kibaki," Okemo said.

The Nambale MP said he was convinced that Narc-Kenya and the Nyachae team are working together and could campaign separately for Kibaki next year. Should Narc-Kenya feel threatened or crumble under the threat of the new outfit, the Nyachae team could easily team up with DP, Okemo said."It is going to be a hard sell in Western Province I can assure you," he said. "Our people are not enthusiastic about running mates and vice-presidents. And Western does not trust Kibaki. So if Kombo is going to be selling Kibaki, he has a tough job."

Mbita MP Otieno Kajwang' also said the talk of a new force is diversionary."Whatever the constellation they have is fine with us. It is still coalescing into a two-horse race. They can revive Narc and I know they want to. Let's wait and see how their constituents will react," Kajwang' said.Sources familiar with the machinations, however, say the President is not worried about the feelings of Narc-Kenya, whose resemblance with DP he does not like.But he expects Narc-Kenya members to return to Narc. Last Tuesday, Ngilu, Kombo and Nyachae, among others, met to plot how to counter ODM-Kenya. All those who attended the Tuesday meeting at Afya House are expected to attend the Kisii rally. The Tuesday evening meeting convened by Ngilu at her Afya House office ended acrimoniously after she disagreed with her Cabinet colleague, Trade and Industry minister Dr Mukhisa Kituyi and some of his Narc-Kenya associates who attended without invitation.

At the meeting, Ngilu, apparently aware that she had the President's backing dismissed Narc-Kenya, which she had previously vowed never to join, as a poorly camouflaged reincarnation of DP. That insinuation did not go well with Kituyi, Water minister Mr Mutua Katuku and Education Assistant minister Mrs Beth Mugo, who are the interim officials of the party.The meeting followed another one chaired by President Kibaki at State House, Nairobi, last Friday, which was called to explore the "establishment of a political vehicle to articulate the political vision of the GNU".

The Nyachae group is not keen to join Narc-K because the party is fronted by people it considers political minors. Those in the know told The Sunday Standard that Nyachae agreed to join hands with Ngilu and Kombo on condition that, the group throws its weight behind President Kibaki regardless of what those in Narc-Kenya were putting in place.

"We have indeed agreed as a party to throw our weight behind President Kibaki. We feel he deserves another term and we are going to support him fully in seeking re-election on whichever party he opts for," said Bobasi MP Mr Stephen Manoti.Talking to The Sunday Standard soon after the Afya House meeting, Obwocha said the new alliance would be based on purely party membership. But he denied that it had agreed to back Kibaki.

"We do not intend to fold our parties. Instead we are looking at possibilities of bringing together government friendly parties and try to give Kenyans a political team that will win the next general elections," said the Planning minister.Obwocha, who is also the West Mugirango MP, said many more parties would be brought to the fold soon. The moves are pointers to the desperation key leaders who once held sway have to deal with as regions and parties gang up ahead of next elections.

In Western Province, Kombo is under siege from ODM despite repeatedly saying he is in the presidential race. Kombo has lately been active in attempts to craft Luhya unity, an idea he has been pursuing for years but never picked up until former Lugari MP Mr Cyrus Jirongo gave it punch. But even the search for Luhya unity, said Okemo, is a camouflage for a bigger problem some of the region's leaders do not want to face.They fear going to ODM or Narc-Kenya because they don't want to face the issue of who becomes the torch-bearer of that united Luhya front. That is why they are here and there at the same time," Okemo said.Ngilu, like Nyachae, is looking for an outfit that will not only take her to Parliament but also assure her of visibility.


For some time now, Ngilu has sent emissaries to key ODM leaders, indicating that she would join. But the idea of coming as an individual and the reality of playing second fiddle to ODM leader Kalonzo weighed heavily on her. She would obviously be comfortable in an arrangement where she takes credit for a key role.Between Kombo and Ngilu also lies a burning desire for the VP's slot. With the elections approaching, each could be hoping to be the President's running mate, depending on how ODM line up looks.The arrangement allows Ngilu to retain the position of chairperson of Narc, thus assures her prominent role by the President's side.