Why TNA, ODM two horse race will lock out reform in Kenya

By Murimi Mwangi

The two-horse-race cliché has dominated the presidential campaigns. The ODM team has already bestowed the reform tag on their horse and is rubbishing the G7 horse as a wagon of conformists of impunity.

However, this reformism-conformism gimmick is a lyric that the public must ignore since riders of both horses have a history of being merchants of impunity and none of them qualifies the title of a true reformist.    

For starters, Uhuru Kenyatta has over history dirtied himself with the muck of impunity due to his relationship with all the post independent governments. He was a Moi project in 2002, despite being a political naïve then. It is widely believed that Uhuru never joined politics to serve the interest of the wide citizenry but to protect members of the elite class that had illegally amassed wealth during the Kenyatta and Moi regimes.

The unprecedented merger of KANU and other pro-Kibaki parties in 2007 into PNU was a deliberate attempt by Uhuru to remain politically relevant after his untenable loss to Kibaki in 2002. He did this with the hope of in inheriting the kikuyu chiefdom from Kibaki, which he has dully achieved despite having serious crimes against humanity in The Hague!

His rival horse rider, Raila Odinga’s credentials of reformism are pegged on his 7 years detention by president Moi, his vigorous campaign against the insubstantial 2005 constitution and eventually his efforts in acquisition of the new constitution. Ironically, Uhuru also rejected the 2005 draft and campaigned for the 2010 constitution alongside Raila. So why does Raila qualify to be a reformist for the same things that the alleged impunity-conformist also did?

Raila has also been acclaimed for his momentous role in bringing the lakeside nation into the Narc coalition of 2002 that trounced the 24 years of the despotic Kanu regime.

However, Miguna Miguna, in his memoir peeling back the mask claims that prior to Raila’s  historical pronouncement, ‘Kibaki Tosha’, he was just from signing an MOU endorsing Nyachae’s presidential bid. This is a clear indicator of a wavering politician; an allegation that has also been confirmed by his former head of protocol Tony Gachoka.

Raila’s campaign strategy in the 2007 election to date still encapsulates serious suspicion. Muted allegations that he conducted the campaign based on a concealed agenda of 41 tribes against 1 (that fuelled the 2008 chaos), is a serious negatron of his alleged reformism.

Additionally, his occasional doublespeak on national matters also portrays a leader without a clear stand. In parliament he says MRC is a prescribed gang but at the Coast he has the guts to say that the armed hooligans wrecking havoc there can come to a round table with him and discuss peace!

At one time he says that ICC suspects should be locked up in Kamiti Maximum prison, but later on we hear he is in serious coalition talks with Ruto, one of the ICC suspects.

Paradoxically, both Uhuru and Raila claim that they would fast track the full implementation of the constitution upon election.  However, for Uhuru to be given the green light to even contest the presidency a flawed integrity bill mutilating chapter 6 of the constitution has to be effected- that tells a lot about what would be his style of constitution implementation.

Raila’s promise of speedily implementing the constitution also sounds ridiculous. On one hand he wants to forge an alliance with Ruto, yet that can’t happen unless the integrity Bill is blemished to allow Ruto into the arena. Additionally, how will Raila Marshall his government to implement the constitution if he brings aboard Ruto who captained the rejection of the draft by the Kalenjin nation?

A true reformist is an indefatigable leader that not only stands by a single voice but who also walks their talk.

However, none of the two horses prognosticated as key contenders for the presidency pass the test of reformism! Perhaps we should select among the rest who have been discarded as insignificant by the polls.

The writer is a communication and media student at Maseno university wilsonmurimi@yahoo.com 

Should ODM have National Delegates Council or County level nominations?

ODM party leader Raila Odinga and his deputy Musalia Mudavadi  PHOTO/Courtesy  

At last the Orange Democratic Party has submitted their registration and the contentious old constitution at the registrar of political parties.

The party’s delegation led by Prof Anyang Nyong’o the Secretary General was received by the registrar Lucy Ndung’u albeit with the amendments championed by Musalia Mudavadi being left out.

According to Nyong’o and the party’s National Executive council (NEC) the party had agreed to change the clause which gives the party leader a direct presidential nomination and check how the choice of the presidential aspirant be done at Kasarani or county level.

As the party still grapple with their ‘internal democracy’ over this issue sober considerations should be taken after checking out the views from both sides, PM and Party Leader Raila’s and DPM and Deputy Party Leader Mudavadi’s.

According to proponents of the county method, ODM was the first party in the country to bring about the call of devolution which was the main issue that delayed the current constitution to be passed and was a major issue in the referendum vote that ushered it in.

This leaders led by Shinyalu MP Justus Kizito, Funyula MP and Minister of Youths and Sports Paul Otuoma, and Khamisi Mp and  Information Assistant Minister   He added that devolution was brought by ODM in the constitution as they should not leave George Khaniri see devolution as “ODM’s ‘baby’ which should not be dropped now”.

They also want more delegates, 60, to be involved in the voting process while at Kasarani there is a likelihood of about 20 from the 47 counties in the country to be locked because, according to Khaniri, “time used for voting and travelling will take about four days with some delegates from far counties unable to make it. The county elections the over seen by the IEBC will increase party participation”.

Their biggest boast, and what is not seen by people supporting Raila, is that flawed nominations will risk the party losing candidates. Candidates like Makadara MP Mike ‘Sonko’ Mbuvi, POA’ s Raphael Tuju amongst others left the party over flawed elections.

Khaniri gave the example of how KANU broke down when former president Daniel Arap Moi endorsed Uhuru Kenyatta as the 2002 presidential candidate. At KANU’s Kasarani delegates meeting it was common of MP’s to come with their delegates only to be told their ‘registered’ members were already in.

 “Nominations were the biggest change in the past elections as ODM members who felt slighted by the nomination process left and ended up winning in other parties” Kizito said adding that as Raila supporters are afraid of their man slighted so is the feeling in Mudavadi camp which has to be addressed adequately.

Lastly, they say by giving the presidential candidate ticket to the party leader directly there is fear of locking out other aspirants from carrying their constitutional right. By changing the rules it will check the clause in future.

Meanwhile, Raila’s camp sees the call of  change in this dying parts of the campaign as a suspect for other defectors and his opponents to use Mudavadi as a Trojan horse to wreck the ‘most popular party in the country’ from within.

As most opponents are fighting Raila there is fear of using ‘professional delegates’ from former ODM stronghold turned risky like Rift Valley and Central/ Eastern to push Mudavadi’s supporters in the ballot.

The two have taken a middle ground on the use of IEBC to officiate the voting, but this fear in Raila’s camp is so real with the fear of ‘anti-reformers’ and ‘KANU’s orphans’ ganging up

“We are lucky for ODM to have given birth to ‘twins’, but there is risk of the two bringing the party to its knees especially as their feud is seen as a war and not democracy. This poor image goes on to make defectors to gloat over the party and find a way to wreck it from within” A delegate in Migori said when Mudavadi made a stop in the county, his 41st.

Manuel Odeny ©2012