- Principals want to avoid playing catch up with DP Ruto and ODM leader Raila Odinga.
- OKA has not been actively engaging voters in recent weeks, unlike its rivals
Image: MERCY MUMO
Stung by growing concerns from Kenyans that Oka is a non-starter, the alliance's principals are drafting fresh plans on how to fight the 2022 elections.
The Star has established Musalia Mudavadi (ANC), Kalonzo Musyoka (Wiper), Gideon Moi (Kanu) and Moses Wetang'ula plan to announce the formation's flag-bearer before the end of December.
The four principals will then stage vigorous campaigns across the county, both jointly and separately, to drum up support for their candidate.
“We will have two months of intensive campaigns soon after we announce the flag-bearer. We will then make further plans that will be informed by the reception we will receive during our campaigns,” a source close to the plans told the Star.
Only after testing the popularity of the flagbearer on the ground will Oka will be keen to negotiate with like-minded parties or coalitions.
OKA has not been actively engaging voters in recent weeks and the principals want to avoid playing catch up to Deputy President William Ruto and ODM leader Raila Odinga.
We have big plans
All this time, OKA has been passive but Mudavadi has downplayed the inertia, saying they are working on a plan to give Ruto and Raila a run for their money.
The principals fear they maybe rendered irrelevant if they do not act quickly. Save for the October 7 meeting with members of the Mt Kenya Foundation — an influential club of prominent businessmen— the four principals have not been seen together in public selling their agenda.
On the other hand, Ruto and Raila been passionately selling their 2022 agendas in meetings and rallies across the country.
In the recent weeks, the two have met leaders and held campaigns at the Coast, Mt Kenya, Western, Kisii, Nyanza, Northeastern, Rift Valley and Nairobi.
All this time, Oka has been passive but Mudavadi has downplayed the inertia, saying they are working on a plan to give Ruto and Raila a run for their money.
“There is a momentum that is building as we head to elections,” the ANC leader said while dismissing reports of a two-horse race in 2022.
During the rallies, the team will be keen to inspire the youth as they hunt for votes and convince Kenyans that their flagbearer is a person to be trusted with the country's leadership.
The principals will also be keen to highlight their economic agenda for specific groups in society.
To set the ball rolling, Ford Kenya is preparing to endorse Wetang'ula as its presidential candidate.
The other three principals have since been endorsed as presidential candidates by their respective parties.
ANC's top decision making organ, the Amani Council, has endorsed Mudavadi as the party's presidential candidate while on August 10, Wiper gave Kalonzo okay to join the race to succeed Uhuru.
And on September 31, more than 3,000 Kanu delegates unanimously endorsed Moi as their presidential candidate in next year's general election.
Ford Kenya National organising secretary Chris Mandu Mandu revealed that the party is planning to have its National Delegates Conference on November 4 to elect new officials.
“Delegates will be drawn from across the country. We will be meeting at Bomas of Kenya in Nairobi to elect new officials and also endorse the party leader as the presidential candidate,” he said.
He noted that Wetang'ula will be defending his seat as the party leader. “I will also be defending my seat as the national organising secretary. We invite all those who said they had removed us to come and face us in the elections,” he added.
A faction led by Tongaren MP Eseli Simiyu has also called a national delegates conference to elect new party officials.
The meeting has been planned for November 6 at Moi International Sports Centre Kasarani, Nairobi. “Court order or not, the owners of the party will be electing new leadership,” Eseli told the Star.
He warned Wetang'ula against representing Ford Kenya in coalition talks with other parties.
Mandu Mandu however maintained that Eseli is a former secretary and on suspension and is acting in contempt of court.
It is after all Oka parties have their respective presidential candidates that a flag-bearer for the alliance will be picked.
ANC deputy party leader Ayub Savula was quick to point out that OKA will pick the flag-bearer through mutual consensus.
He said there will be no nominations to determine who will fly the flag of the alliance.
“We believe in consensus. Through a consensus, OKA will get the candidate who is best suited to lead the team,” Savula said.
All four principals have declared they will be going for the top seat which makes picking a flag-bearer a litmus test for the cohesion of the alliance.
ANC party leader and his Wiper counterpart have vowed to take a second stab on seat and both have unsuccessfully contested the presidency once, Mudavadi in 2013 and Kalonzo in 2007.
While Mudavadi has ruled out playing second fiddle, Kalonzo has been warned by his allies against backing anyone outside Oka,
In 2013 and 2017 Kalonzo was the running mate to Raila; they both lost to President Kenyatta and his DP William Ruto.
Mavoko MP Patrick Makau wants the other principals to let Kalonzo take the mantle as “he is the most experienced and most suitable of them all to become the fifth president.”
“What we want is to propel Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka to the State House. He is the best, even in Oka,” Makau said.
Sources within Oka said Kalonzo's allies want the Wiper party leader to have Wetang'ula as his running mate if he does not strike a deal with Mudavadi.
Moi on the other hand is seen to have a soft spot for Raila. Mudavadi and Kalonzo have vowed not to back Raila saying he should instead support one of them.
In 2017, Mudavadi backed ODM leader under the National Super Alliance (Nasa) for the top seat. He was Raila's running mate in the 2007 elections on ODM ticket.
During the 2007 polls, Kalonzo emerged a distant third behind retired President Mwai Kibaki and Raila.
(Edited by V. Graham)