www.Kisii.Com: Syndicated news from only reputable sources [Nation, and Standard Newspapers, Kenya Times, KBC, etc.]

Nyachae's Party And Kanu Form Coalition

Details

Published on Saturday, 02 June 2007 06:45

Kanu and Ford People yesterday formed an opposition alliance, with Mr Simeon Nyachae as its national chairman. The Coalition for National Unity, which brings together the two parties' 83 MPs, seeks to strengthen the opposition's challenge to the Kibaki government. Official Opposition leader Uhuru Kenyatta is the Coalition's deputy national chairman while Mr Nyachae, as well as being chairman, will head its national steering council.

Both leaders ran for the presidency in the last General Election - Mr Kenyatta was runner up while Mr Nyachae was third. The new Coalition's convener will be the deputy leader of the official Opposition, Dr Bonaya Godana, who is the MP for North Horr in Mandera district.

Yesterday Mr Nyachae and Mr Kenyatta said they were putting aside their personal and political ambitions to unite and provide a permanent challenge to the government. Mr Nyachae said the coalition would not limit its role to asking questions in Parliament but would advocate policy changes. "We must turn away from the path of hatred and divisive politics and walk on the path of progress, focusing more on the things that unite us rather than on narrow and petty differences between us," he said.

The coalition will not hold elections until a constitution is drafted and adopted by both parties by June 2004. It will be run by a national steering council, chaired by Mr Nyachae, a joint parliamentary group, led by Mr Kenyatta, and a national secretariat. Part of its mission is to "coalesce forces in the two parties and thereby develop formidable approach to national politics with a view to being elected into government at the next general elections."

Mr Nyachae and Mr Kenyatta accused the Narc government of failing to deliver its elections promises and cited increased insecurity, the troubled Constitutional review process and the party's pledge to create 500,000 jobs annually. Said Mr Nyachae: "Kenya is more important than all of us. We have resolved to work together to boost legislative politics in Kenya and develop sustained approach to matters of national unity."

The Nyaribari Chache MP pledged his personal support for the coalition and to give it the benefit of his experience. Mr Kenyatta and Mr Nyachae addressed a joint press conference at Inter-Continental hotel, Nairobi, after their parties' parliamentary group meetings. Over 50 MPs from Kanu and Ford People attended the press conference. Conspicuously absent were Kanu stalwarts Nicholas Biwott and Baringo Central MP Gideon Moi . Mr Kenyatta described yesterday as "the beginning of a new hope for a better future for our nation and its people" and remarked that Narc's slogan of "a new beginning and a new nation" was stolen from Kanu.

He regretted that selfish interests and personal ambitions had prevented opposition leaders from fighting Narc together, contributing to the country's "precarious" situation. "We have also realised that no single political faction nor interest group can represented nor fulfil the aspirations nor hopes of all Kenyans," he said. By launching the coalition, Kanu and Ford-P were acknowledging their past mistakes. Mr Kenyatta said Kenyans were tired of "mere political rhetoric" that had left the country more divided than ever before. "By calling ourselves the Coalition for National unity, we are supremely aware of the fact that dialogue and consensus building will be the key ingredients for success," he said.

He called on leaders to be responsible in their utterances ahead of the National Constitutional Conference, which resumes on January 12, and the final drafting of the document, expected to end by June, 2004. There was need for a consensus among opposition and ruling party leaders in order to hammer out achieve a credible Constitution, he said. Earlier, several Kanu MPs prematurely left a two-hour Kanu parliamentary group meeting held at the same time as a Ford People conference in Nairobi. The Kanu PG and national executive council meeting was held at the Old Chamber of Parliament, and was chaired by Mr Kenyatta. The Ford People meeting, presided over by Mr Nyachae, took place a stone's throw away at Continental Building. The Kanu MPs who left the meeting midstream were Mr Mohammed Maalim, Mr Samuel Moroto, Mr Viscount Kimathi and Mr John Koech. All were tight-lipped about what was discussed or why they had left the meeting before it ended.

A total of 29 Kanu MPs from Rift Valley met on Tuesday night to prepare the ground for the coalition announcement. The group, which met at Holiday Inn in Westlands, agreed to work with Mr Nyachae's party noting that the Nyaribari Chache MP respected retired President Moi. Mr Kosgey is the chairman of the group, Rift Valley Kanu Parliamentary Group.

Sources said nearly all those present accused the Narc government of harassing their party members, particularly those from the province. They complained the government had terminated all supplies contracts held by firms linked to Kanu members, particularly Rift Valley MPs. The meeting was told no single party could form a government on its own in future.

The meeting dismissed as a non-starter the weekend overtures made by Foreign Affairs Minister Kalonzo Musyoka to Mr Nyachae. During the Kisii rally, Mr Musyoka had talked of warm relations between LDP and Ford-People, giving rise to speculations that the two planned an alliance. At Tuesday's meeting, many of those present suggested they support Mr Kenyatta for party chairman.
But Mr Nicholas Biwott is reported to remarked that he was also interested in the post. Only two MPs, Mr David Sudi (Marakwet West) and his Keiyo North counterpart, Mr Lucas Chepkitony, failed to attend.