Fred Oluoch, Special Correspondent
21 March 2006
Nairobi — The registration of a new party by politicians close to President Mwai Kibaki has sent a strong signal that he is keen to vie for a second term.
However, the setting up of the National Rainbow Coalition-Kenya (Narc-Kenya) has sent mixed signals to coalition partners, Ford-Kenya and National party of Kenya (NPK), leaving them in a state of political limbo, as they were reportedly not consulted when the plan was mooted.
It also casts doubt about a pre-election unwritten agreement within the national Alliance Party of Kenya (NAK), in which Kibaki was to go for a single term and leave the presidential ticket to Ford-Kenya come 2007.
The formation of Narc-Kenya, judging by the people behind it, is an attempt to revamp the president's dormant Democratic Party (DP) with the objective of attracting wider support within the Mt Kenya region.
Since its formation in 1991, DP has retained the image of an exclusive club of the moneyed long-term associates of the president, which meant it failed to ignite the entire Mt Kenya region in the manner Ford-Asili did under the patronage of Kenneth Matiba.
Those behind Narc-Kenya now hope that for the first time since the re-introduction of political pluralism in the 1990s, the Mt Kenya region will have a party it can identify with, and possibly attract supporters of Matiba's Saba Saba Asili.
While Health Minister, Charity Ngilu - who heads both Narc and NPK - has downplayed Narc-K as just another party that is free to apply for membership of the bigger coalition, Ford-Kenya, led by Local Government Minister, Musikari Kombo, has received the new party with mixed feelings.
This is particularly so given that the other key partner, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), has already moved out and is busy organising itself for the next elections.
According to the Assistant Minister for Regional Co-operation, Dr Bonny Khalwale, Ford-Kenya has no problem so long as the new party is about reorganising DP and the politics of the Mt Kenya region.
But Dr Khalwale warns that the proponents of the new party should not give the impression that it is a replacement for Narc.
"While Narc is a coalition of political parties, Narc-K is like any other registered party and should not in any way assume patronage position," he said.
The only fear in Ford-Kenya is that the move could be an attempt to force renegotiation of the unwritten NAK agreement that Ford-Kenya provide the next candidate for the coalition, since DP, which negotiated the deal, will have ceased to exist.
As Dr Khalwale put it, "Looking back, the new party leaves us feeling relieved because if we had accepted the suggestions by the same forces to dissolve the Narc constituent parties, we could be groping in the dark, because we are not going to join Narc-K. Furthermore, we are still waiting for them to tell us the reason why they wanted us to dissolve our party, only to turn around and form their own."
While Mrs Ngilu is watching unfolding events keenly, as she resists overtures from the Orange Democratic Movement leaders to join them, Ford-Kenya is working on a programme to unite all the offspring of the defunct original Forum for the Restoration of Democracy (Ford).
Party members revealed that talks are on to synergise the "Ford family" for the purpose of campaigns and electoral support. Already, Ford-Kenya has been in talks with Simeon Nyachae's Ford-People, but attempts to reach out to Ford Asili have proved futile because the party is currently split into two factions - one led by Njeru Kathangu and the other by Martin Shikuku.
Dr Khalwale confirmed that they are yet to approach the issue of who between Mr Kombo and Mr Nyachae, should go for the presidency, should they decide to operate without Narc-K.
But he said: "Ford-Kenya might not get the leadership of this country in the near future. But in the long run, Kenyans will realise that we are trying to show that it is important to respect institutions. If Narc had respected what was due for LDP, we could not be where we are."
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