The inconceivable has happened. The ruling Jubilee Party has morphed back to its original setting of two distinct parties that largely resemble the now defunct TNA (The National Alliance) and United Republican Party (URP).
Jubilee ‘mwewe’ has all the colors of TNA, including the dove sign with an olive branch. Its slogan is now ‘Mbele Pamoja’ instead of ‘Tuko Pamoja’.
At the Pangani House headquarters, the old logo stands tall on the glassy walls of the now largely empty building, a pale shadow of the place that was once a beehive of activities, especially at this time five years ago.
Then, candidates would line up to take photos at the media ‘wall’ located at the entrance, just opposite the reception desk. Today, the gates to Jubilee House are well manned by both plain clothed and uniformed Administration Police officers, whose main job is the Security of Government Buildings.
One of the charges leveled against me during the Jubilee National Disciplinary Committee hearings on February 4, 2021, when I last appeared there, is that I had adorned different party colors of yellow and black. Ironically, the same colors were evident in a logo that stood out on a pull up banner behind chairman Lumatete Muchai, as if to mock the very proceedings that clearly had a pre-determined outcome.
This demonstrates that though the TNA and URP parties merged, this was only skin-deep, and that the attachment that came with the previous political outfits remained.
It should be remembered that TNA colors were a rollover of Kanu colors, red and white, and instead of the ‘jogoo’, the dove (njiwa) was chosen as the symbol instead.
What is more interesting is the fact that the inconceivable has happened. New campaign materials for the Jubilee ‘mwewe’ have an ‘R’ for Raila as part of the new logo! Who would have thought?!
This has turned things upside down. Effectively, the Raila of 2022 is a project of the diminished Jubilee Party that boasts of very few members remaining in its ranks and file, possibly about 30 or so from the National Assembly and the Senate. This is a pale shadow of the once strong party that boasted of 206 members in the National Assembly and 38 senators.
It is expected that the postponed Jubilee’s National Delegates Convention on February 25-26 is to possibly finally kick out Ruto-allied politicians from their rank and file, and to formally endorse Raila’s candidature. This will be the ultimate complete separation of the President and his deputy.
Nearly five months to the general election, and with Ruto having a clear double-digit lead in opinion polls across the nation, it remains to be seen if in any way Raila can play catch up.
By March, the elections shall have been decided and the rest shall be formalities. The remaining One Kenya Alliance seems headed to Azimio, and often than not, their followers shall be split, with others joining the Kenya Kwanza Alliance.
So, the Jubilee promise of President Kenyatta’s 10-year reign, followed by Ruto’s 10 years have come to a cropper. This clearly demonstrates that the distinct traits of the constituent parties never really died off upon merger.
It thus means that in future, the same can be expected of the emerging political alliances, either as a stand-alone coalition party or corporate membership as advanced by Minority leader and ODM chairman John Mbadi’s new proposal in the National Assembly.
Another political party that was merged with Jubilee but which has since refused to die is New Ford Kenya, and which has morphed in to the Democratic Alliance Party. Despite the fact that the name mimics a common fertilizer name, one can clearly see that its orientation is that of Ford Kenya and New Ford Kenya’s disgruntled officials teaming up to create their own space in the Azimio movement.
These developments above clearly demonstrate we have a very long way to go in realising a stable political party development regime. There is one too many splinter groups, one too many alliances, with the enduring outcome of shedding off political baggage, usually in the form of not wanting to fulfill political promises once made to erstwhile allies, only to be discarded upon convenience.
This political ‘abuse’ is thus perpetuated by the very people who have been abused before, and it thus foments the behaviour of reneging on past promises to Kenyans. Talk of old wine in new wine skins!!
Political party formation and the keeping of promises cannot thus be legislated. It just takes honest and trustworthy leadership that seeks to transform the country to ensure to its partners and allies a fulfillment of their agreement, before one can trust that they can deliver to Kenyans at large.
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