Kenya’s opposition parties, for years crippled by self-inflicted divisions, have promised tens of thousands of chanting supporters they will join forces to break the ruling party’s 39-year hold on power.
But now they have to tackle the hardest task — choosing a single presidential candidate from a group of aspirants who rival one another in ego and personal ambition.
”Today we have decided to put aside our personal gains for the benefit of Kenyans. We want true democracy in our country,” Kalonzo Musyoka promised the more than 50 000 people who poured into a downtown park on Monday for what was hailed as the country’s biggest opposition rally.
Musyoka, who resigned his Cabinet post hours before the rally, is among members of the ruling Kenya African National Union party, or Kanu, who say they will contest upcoming elections under the banner of the opposition Liberal Democratic Party. The Liberal Democrats have already formed an alliance with another opposition group, known as the People’s Coalition, and are in talks with the main opposition National Alliance Party of Kenya.
Leaders from all the groups, including two former vice presidents and several former Cabinet ministers, attended the rally — an unprecedented event in the history of Kenya’s opposition politics.
Since the East African nation returned to multiparty politics in 1991, President Daniel arap Moi and his ruling party have held on to power through corruption, patronage and deep divisions — often tribal — among their fractious opponents. In the 1997 elections, marred by pre-electoral violence and allegations of vote rigging, 14 candidates ran against Moi.
But forthcoming elections expected by the end of the year are shaping up to be very different. Moi, who has led Kanu and the country for 24 years, is constitutionally obliged to become Kenya’s first president to step down. And deciding who should become Kanu’s presidential candidate has split the ruling party like never before.
Moi’s anointed heir, Uhuru Kenyatta, a relatively inexperienced politician but a son of Kenya’s first president, Jomo Kenyatta, was nominated unopposed by party delegates on Monday after a number of senior Kanu members with their own ambitions boycotted the convention, claiming it would be rigged in Kenyatta’s favour. The dissidents, including Kalonzo, former Vice President George Saitoti and former Energy Minister Raila Odinga, instead embraced opposition leaders at Monday’s rally.
”Our leaders have now shown and proved that the opposition is no longer divided,” said Odinga. ”This shows we are moving forward, and we shall field one candidate who will remove Kanu.”
Odinga’s Liberal Democrats promised to build alliances ”with all other persons, opposition forces and progressive forces … to bring back hope, justice and economic revival and democracy.”
But if there is to be a truly united opposition, the National Alliance Party of Kenya will have to agree to become part of what is now being loosely described as a ”Super Alliance.”
Led by Mwai Kibaki, Moi’s vice president from 1978 to 1988, the National Alliance announced its candidates on September 18 with Kibaki as the standard bearer. At the rally, Kibaki, who came second to Moi in 1997, avoided direct mention of a single opposition candidate, but his lieutenants were more forthcoming.
”We are writing Kenya’s history in golden letters,” said Kijana Wamalwa, named as Kibaki’s running mate. ”We thought NAK (the National Alliance) was a good idea, but we also know a good idea must yield ground to a better idea.”
The thousands who chanted and cheered throughout the rally were in no doubt the opposition can finally break Kanu’s grip on power. ”Without Moi everything is possible,” they chanted. ”Bye-bye Kanu.” – Sapa-AP