The elusive ‘Luhya unity’ may well be in sight if advanced plans for the merger of Western Kenya’s two foremost parties materialise.
Musalia Mudavadi’s ANC and Moses Wetang’ula’s Ford Kenya have set the ball rolling in an elaborate plan to seal Western Kenya behind them and scuttle the efforts of other political outfits, the Star can reveal.
According to the plan, once the party is formed, it will then seek an alliance with others including Kalonzo Musyoka’s Wiper that is also consolidating its Ukambani base.
“The house we are building will not stand on quicksand. It will be a formidable force in the country,” Mudavadi said yesterday.
“Once we consolidate Western, we will then move all over the country to appeal to all Kenyans to give us a chance because then we would have assembled the face of Kenya,” he added.
Wetang’ula said they are out to show that it is possible to unite the Luhya nation and, going forward, they will not allow anyone to divide them for selfish gains.
“The road we have embarked on is unstoppable. We are carrying along everybody and I can assure you we will succeed,” said the Bungoma Senator.
More on this: Luhya unity quest key for 2022 bid, Raila's time over - Wetang'ula
The two leaders have agreed to dissolve their parties and form one giant Western alliance party that will, hopefully, propel one of them to the presidency in 2022.
The development comes amid serious inroads by Deputy President William Ruto who has been hunting for allies in the same region to anchor his bid for the presidency in 2022.
Indeed, the Mudavadi-Wetang’ula move has been dismissed by Jubilee-leaning leaders from the populous community, led by Senate Speaker Kenneth Lusaka, who says the idea is a non-starter.
Lusaka has said a single party to champion the interests of the ‘Luhya nation’ can’t take anyone to State House.
Speaking in Lwandanyi in Bungoma on Sunday, Lusaka said, “Whereas we support the unity of a people, the idea of forming the Mulembe party with the hope that it will propel anybody to the presidency is ill-advised. It will go nowhere.”
Read: Drop ill-advised plan for Mulembe party, Lusaka tells Wetang'ula
Jubilee-affiliated Devolution Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa and his Sports counterpart, Rashid Echesa, have also written off the initiative.
Despite the naysayers, the two parties seem to have found chemistry from their tribulations in the tottering Nasa coalition, whose future has been thrown into doubt after Raila Odinga’s solitary pact with President Uhuru Kenyatta last month.
Besides the controversial handshake, the duo have been united by the ridicule they both suffered in their backyards after skipping the January 30 swearing-in of Raila as the People’s President.
As a mark of their seriousness, the two parties have set up a joint tech-nical committee that has already held four meetings to plot the merger, which they announced two weeks ago.
The ANC is represented by Nambale MP Sakwa Bunyasi, Mudavadi’s aide Godfrey Kanoti, ANC secretary general Barrack Muluka, MP Alfred Agoi and Eric Wafukho. Ford Kenya’s team is led by deputy party leader Boni Khalwale, secretary general Eseli Simiyu, Kimini MP Chris Wamalwa, Wetang’ula’s aide Bramwel Simiyu and lawyer Eunice Lumalas.
“We are on the drawing board. We have begun the discussions but of course this is a process that has to take on very many interests across the country. Everything has got to be realistic,” said Muluka yesterday.
The committee held its last meeting on Tuesday at Blixen in Karen and both Mudavadi and Wetang’ula have been briefed on the progress made so far.
The team has already defined its terms of reference and has suggested three party names that the principals are considering. They are expected to pick one next week before starting the process of registering the political party.
TECHNICAL COMMITTEE
“We are looking to appeal to all Kenyans. Everything we are doing is aimed at building a solid party that we will market across the country” said Kanoti, who was the head of Mudavadi’s presidential campaign secretariat last year before it folded.
Also read: Kamba leaders meet to chart Kalonzo's future in Nasa after Uhuru -Raila handshake
The Star learned that the technical committee has also started looking at the structure of the new party and its hierarchy.
By yesterday, the committee seemed to be in agreement that the Summit will be the apex decision-making organ of the party, composed of only party leaders.
The National Executive Committee will report to the National Governing Council which will be chosen by party delegates, who will be picked from party members after an aggressive recruitment exercise expected next year.
Once the two leaders approve the proposals by the technical committee and the name is reserved at the Registrar of Political Parties, the two leaders are then expected to make a formal announcement at a function in Nairobi.
As part of their plan to broaden the alliance to include other leaders from the Western region, Mudavadi and Wetang’ula have quietly been meeting governors from the region.
They also plan to meet senior, influential or retired leaders in the coming days to ask for their support.
On Tuesday, the two leaders met Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya, who is also the ODM deputy party leader, in Nairobi to woo him to join them.
Oparanya did not answer calls or respond to text messages from the Star yesterday.
The governor, too, has made public his presidential ambitions although analysts say he is angling to be a running mate.
He has in the past been dismissive of Wetang’ula bid for State House but it is understood that the two leaders had “a good discussion” although the governor did not fully commit to the initiative.
TESOS AND OTHERS
Mudavadi and Wetang’ula are also said to be targeting other Western Kenya governors including Busia’s Sospter Ojaamong and Vihiga’s Wilbur Otichillo —both of ODM — and Trans Nzioia’s Patrick Khaemba and Wycliffe Wangamati of Bungoma – of Ford Kenya.
“They have to stop calling it Luhya unity if they want Tesos and other people who are not Luhyas, and who reside in Western Kenya, to join the initiative,” said Teso South MP Oku Kaunya yesterday.
Next week the leaders have scheduled meetings with former Vice President Moody Awori, former National Assembly Speaker Kenneth Marende, former Minister Fred Gumo and former Nambale MP Philip Masinde to brief them about their plans.
They also plan to meet with Cotu Secretary General Francis Atwoli who has previously rallied Luhyas to support Mudavadi’s presidential bid and championed his coronation as the community's spokesman.
In February, after they missed Raila’s oathing, the trade unionist hosted Mudavadi and other Luhya leaders at his Khwisero home where he announced that they will back Mudavadi for the presidency.
Allies of the two leaders said once Mudavadi and Wetang’ula have met senior leaders and elders from all tribes in Western, Trans Nzoia and parts of Rift Valley, they will then embark on joint rallies across the region to popularise the new outfit.
Lugari MP Ayub Savula confirmed yesterday that plans to unite the entire region were gaining momentum and that they plan to visit all counties once the new party is launched.
“We want to lock out ODM, Jubilee and other parties from our region. We have been used and abused for so long. Now we are determined to chart our course. We believe that Luhya and all other tribes in that region are capable of producing a President if they unite,” said Savula yesterday.
The committee has also suggested the leaders to hold meetings with Luhyas in the Diaspora — mainly in Eldoret, Kuria, Kisumu, Nakuru, Nairobi and Mombasa — to seek their support.
Read: NASA fallout as partners cry foul over ODM tyranny
Click here for the latest political news
Source
No comments:
Post a Comment