|
|
Kenya: Kombo Hangs On the Brink As Storm Brews in Ford Kenya
 |
 |
|||||||||
|
||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||
|
||||||||||
The Nation (Nairobi)
3 May 2008
Posted to the web 2 May 2008
Luke Kapchanga
Nairobi
Ford Kenya chairman Musikari Kombo is a man under siege.
Mr Kombo, who last year believed he was carrying the destiny of the Luyia community and that of Ford-K supporters countrywide on his back, is facing an acid test as a cross-section of party officials and supporters call for his removal.
The first person to come out openly in calling for Mr Kombo's removal is former Kanduyi MP Wafula Wamunyinyi, who cited the party's poor showing in the 2007 elections. He said the party has been shrinking and even in Bungoma District, it only has majority support in Kimilili and Bumula constituencies.
He stated that the world over, party leaders "step aside" when they perform dismally for new people to take over.
Mr Wamunyinyi was one of Mr Kombo's closest allies prior to last year's polls. He was one of those who rooted for election of Ford-K chairman unopposed in order to prepare him for the presidency in 2012.
But after kicking off the quit calls at a Press conference in Bungoma Town, Mr Wamunyinyi has been convening meetings with party officials and councillors to scheme for Mr Kombo's ouster.
The strategy, according to the people who have been attending the meetings, is to discredit Kombo's performance and highlight his alleged lack of vision for the party.
The strategy seems to have worked to a certain extent as several party branches across the country have picked up the cue and are demanding Mr Kombo to step aside.
Most vocal
The most vocal were officials from Nyanza and North Rift, two areas which have historical backing for the party.
Leaders of Trans Nzoia, West Pokot, Marakwet, Pokot North and Mt Elgon branches issued a statement in Kitale saying that "it is time for the party to think of its future if it has to remain relevant".
Their disappointment and frustrations, they said, stems from the party's dismal performance in last year's polls.
But the calls have been dismissed by Mr Kombo's supporters as the work of a senior minister from Western Province. The only minister who comes from the province and could have the interest in the party leadership is Foreign Affairs minister Moses Wetangula.
Though Mr Wetangula has never publicly declared interest in the post of chairman, his close associates say he is interested in the presidency in 2012.
During his campaigns last year, he used to hint to his supporters that in the event Mr Kombo was reluctant to contest the presidency in 2012, he will step in.
And if the Foreign minister is to position himself for the Kibaki succession race, the only option in the coalition politics the country is going through currently is through Ford-K flagship.
Some time in March, while attending a burial at Lwandenyi in his Sirisia constituency, Mr Wetangula is said to have blamed Mr Kombo for the party's poor showing in the polls.
Spent force
The minister, who was accompanied by a group of local councillors, described Mr Kombo as a political "spent force".
But when one of Mr Wetangula's closest allies, Mr Allan Chenane, was asked about the minister's position on the calls for Mr Kombo's removal, he maintained that the party was stable.
"The minister has confidence in Mr Kombo's leadership and those making allegations about schemes to have changes in the party want to create tension and unnecessary divisions," Mr Chenane said.
Mr Kombo's troubles came to the fore after the death of Bukusu elder Joseph Khaoya, whose burial was marked with a changed political atmosphere favouring ODM leader Raila Odinga.
Mr Odinga, then prime minister-designate, was received with pomp and song when he arrived for the burial in Kanduyi constituency.
Saboti MP, Eugene Wamalwa stole the show by cautioning party leaders present to read the signs and unite the Luyia community or risk being eclipsed by the younger generation of MPs.
"Young MPs from this community are watching carefully actions by our leaders and we want to move as one people to have our voice heard," he told mourners.
He added that should leaders not heed the advice, come 2012, they will be booted out.
|
Since then, party supporters at the grassroots started discussing openly about having changes in Ford-K leadership, and went further to propose the younger Wamalwa to take over the chairmanship.
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Make allAfrica.com your home page | RSS Feed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Top | Site Guide | Who We Are | Advertising | Search | Subscribe | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Questions or Comments? Contact us. Read our Privacy Statement. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
