Why ODM, UDA should hasten merger plot

 

From political banters, there is an indignant feeling across the divide that former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s worst error of judgment was joining Kenya Kwanza before first forming his own party.

In mid-2022, Mr Gachagua cast his lot with President William Ruto in the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), where he became deputy party leader. He claims he trusted Ruto, and did not care to sign a formal pact-like ANC, Ford-Kenya and Pamoja Africa Alliance leaders did.

Now, there are mumbles in Mt Kenya.

Former Kieni MP Jeremiah Kioni, speaking for the region, asserts that “Gachagua brought us to where we are.” He says by shepherding Mt Kenya to Ruto without a homegrown party, the region is doomed as Mr Gachagua bites the dust in a government he helped form.

Indeed, the DP now knows better that he has no ‘shares’ in the ruling party. This week, Secretary General Hassan Omar declared plans to kick him out, and potentially replace him with Kithure Kindiki as UDA’s second-in-command. It means the ‘truthful man’ will be irredeemably without a party to call home. Gachagua was replaced as Deputy President by Prof Kindiki yesterday.

There is more to party ownership in Kenya.

Truth is, the disorder in our politics since 1992 stems from the huge number of tribal outfits. According to the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties, there are over 80 registered parties. You wonder how many more will make us ethnically secure!

While it is important not to dismiss on face value all the parties that emerge and fade, perhaps research and soul-searching are required to make them impactful on the ordinary Kenyan. Sadly, their promoters can’t articulate principled objectives. Their dialogue centres around ‘working together’ in 2022, 2027 or 2032.

Ideological bankruptcy is a crisis we must address in defense of constitutionalism. I am concerned about outfits that emerge solely during elections as special purpose vehicles to do ethnic mobilisation then quickly fold up. Kenya is becoming a graveyard of parties.

Remember UDA was cobbled up around elections? And ODM merely sprang up from the 2005 referendum. Some transient outfits win over then betray voters. They secure seats through opportunism and not principled governance. Some have used stolen data from mobile money shops to enlist members.

Nationalism should motivate us to resist this trend. Let parties empower us to make informed decisions. Now, with President Ruto and ODM leader Raila Odinga together in a unity government, there is talk of a UDA- ODM merger. Many happenings point to that direction. If it happens, it will alter the political landscape in a good way in 2027 since they are most primed parties in the land.

A merger will make ODM less of a Luo Nyanza party. Also, it will diminish UDA’s association with the Rift Valley. It will lead to the inclusion of others, such as Musalia Mudavadi’s ANC and Moses Wetangula’s Ford Kenya, forming a force that will end the blast of tribal parties.  

Their merger will close extreme political ranks. Ruto-Raila unity is in itself a political miracle. Also, such a merger will be godsend to the Orange party whose fortunes are tumbling with Raila’s exit from local politics. ODM is already puffing and huffing as it plans a nationwide member-recruitment drive this month. Mr Odinga’s troops are better off with Ruto.

Uhuru Kenyatta’s Jubilee Party attempted to merge parties in 2017 to "bring the country together" but failed. UDA and ODM can succeed where others failed. In the US, the Democratic and Republican parties have fostered a healthy democracy, much like Labour and Conservatives in the UK.

Even our neighbours haven’t drifted into a multitude of parties. Tanzania has mainly CCM and Chadema while in Rwanda, RPF holds sway. With so many parties, the handshakes and coalitions curse will persist. What value do parties have if they only engaged in tribal hate and ticket-selling? UDA and ODM should give the merge plan a bold try to stop the parties’ madness in Kenya. 

The writer is a communications practitioner. X:@markoloo