- I disagree with those who ask Uhuru to depart the political scene.
- He has a powerful voice, especially when pitted against a sitting regime, that can go a long way in helping fight for better governance and the welfare of citizens.
Image: EZEKIEL AMING'A
Following the death of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga in 1994, his Ford Kenya party went through a turbulent time, when the old man’s son, Raila Odinga, engaged in a months-long battle over the party’s leadership with the then Saboti MP, Michael Kijana Wamalwa.
Even though commentators have always caricatured it as having been merely a fight for the leadership of the party, the actual bone of contention was a Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee report released by Wamalwa as chairman, which practically absolved Kamlesh Pattni of the Goldenberg scandal, and incredibly asked the state to in fact pay Pattni a further Sh3 billion.
The report had cleverly been released while Raila, a member of the committee, was out of the country. On returning, he declared that Wamalwa could no longer claim to be leader of a liberation party of the mould of Ford Kenya, after releasing a report that made the architect of the country’s the biggest scandal smell like roses.
What followed was a mix of wrangles, factional street violence, ill-fated attempts at reconciliation and political backstabbing at a high level. Soon, it dawned on Raila that the Moi regime was an enabler of the wars in Ford Kenya, and the longer the wrangles went on, the more the ruling party Kanu lived in peace.
Raila ultimately made the bold decision to resign from Ford Kenya, joined the National Development Party and resigned his Langata parliamentary seat to seek a fresh mandate on his new political vessel. This latter part of the story is the one modern elected leaders in Kenya who switch party allegiances by the day will not want to hear.
Last Sunday, retired president Uhuru Kenyatta held his Jubilee NDC at the Ngong Racecourse. It was what monotonous media narratives refer to as “show of power”. But was it, really? Uhuru was responding to being chased around by erstwhile surrogates, like EALA MP Kanini Kega and nominated MP Sabina Chege.
Nothing demonstrates the reality of fall from power than that Uhuru could issue unchallenged decrees and instructions within the Jubilee party just months ago, but this time, the so-called rebel faction of the party called a press conference even before Uhuru was done with his NDC, asking him, in not dissimilar words, to get lost.
I do not understand why Uhuru bothers. First, he knows well that state machinery is behind the moves to humiliate him by having him thrown out of the party like a regular thief. For someone who held the instruments of state less than a year ago, he must surely understand that the more he appears to fight for Jubilee, the easier he presents himself for the ultimate humiliation.
More importantly, and with utmost respect to Jubilee party members, there is nothing in the party worth fighting for. I mean, this is the ruling party of just nine months ago but couldn’t win easy seats in its core base in Central Kenya at the general elections last August.
There is nothing to suggest that the party has a comeback strategy after losing state power. The former President simply needs to visit the graveyard of political parties and he will see the reality of what happens to exiting ruling parties in this country since 2002.
He will find flowery graves and beautiful tombstones bearing the names of Kanu, PNU, NARC, and his own TNA, with a little space awaiting Jubilee. Without the authority of state power to back a party, it hardly ever survives the wilderness of Kenyan politics. In fact, ODM has remained a dominant force on the political scene longer than all others only due to the steel and sheer staying power of its leader, Raila, whose politics thrives outside government, unlike the others.
The Azimio boss graced the Jubilee NDC on Sunday. I would be surprised, given his massive experience from the wars in Ford Kenya in the 90s, if he didn’t find a moment to let Uhuru know that not only were the government’s political networks going to mightily frustrate the retired president, but the Registrar of Political Parties would predictably play in government colours.
Having himself moved to acquire one Stephen Omondi Oludhe’s NDP in 1995 to avoid being bogged down by government-sponsored wrangles in Ford Kenya, the ODM boss would presumably have whispered a few things to the retired president.
Given the Uhuru's standing in society, if he still desired to remain on the political scene, the best way would be to acquire one of the many political parties on the land owned by ready-to-deal political brokers, and house his supporters there.
In extreme circumstances however, Uhuru can even join ODM, where Raila is in full control and no enemies can bother him. In any case, he tried making Raila president, so the latter’s political party wouldn’t be where he draws the line.
If it is any consolation to President Kenyatta, the faction of Kanini Kega and Sabina Chege only want the party so that they can hand it over to Kenya Kwanza, meaning that the party will die faster in their hands than it would in Uhuru’s.
If it is any consolation to President Kenyatta, the faction of Kanini Kega and Sabina Chege only want the party so that they can hand it over to Kenya Kwanza, meaning that the party will die faster in their hands than it would in Uhuru’s.
My understanding is that the two, as political party nominees to EALA and as National Assembly Deputy Minority Whip respectively, see the positions they hold as very weak without having control of their mother party.
But the lack of principles is also shocking. For instance, it beats logic how Chege intends to whip minority MPs after casting her lot with the majority side. Grabbing Jubilee to hand it over to the majority is one thing. Purporting to still be functional as deputy whip of the minority side after that is a major stretch.
I disagree with those who ask Uhuru to depart the political scene. He has a powerful voice, especially when pitted against a sitting regime, that can go a long way in helping fight for better governance and the welfare of citizens. He needs to graduate into a proper political animal though.
In the coming months, after he loses Jubilee, the anger should spur him into creating his own political party or movement. The reason ODM rebels wouldn’t dare call a press conference to ask Raila to get lost is because the consequences at the ballot wouldn’t be nice.