New Kanu – New Look, Old Habits
A Statement of the Kenyan Community Abroad

March 19, 2002

The National Development Party (NDP) and the Kenya African National Union
(Kanu) merged yesterday to form a new political party, termed New Kanu. The
changed look of the Kanu, fresh with younger faces termed Young Turks,
should rejuvenate the party and, hopefully, bring a new sense of vigor to
national politics.

It has been a four-year journey for the two parties, culminating in the
merger. In due course a number of precedents have been set. While in the
past the President claimed there was no provision for coalitions in the
Kenyan constitution, he demonstrated that it was constitutional to appoint
members of an opposition party to cabinet.

The Kanu-NDP cooperation has also underlined the realities of political
collaboration and re-emphasized the reality of horse-trading and
negotiations in the political process. To that end the courtship and
eventual marriage of the two parties have impacted positively on the Kenyan
political space. Kenyan opposition parties should take a leaf from the Kanu
happenings if they have to offer Kenyans realistic alternatives for change
through competitive politics.

All things considered, the ascendancy of Young Turks, now holding key
positions in the ruling party, would be a reassuring thing. However, we
worry given the manner in which the first elections of New Kanu were
conducted. Kenyans expected more in terms of democratic process to be
assured that the future will be better for them democratically than it has
been in the past. In Kasarani the “vote” was choreographed. With the outcome
fixed in advance, it was planned to offer no surprises.

The “new” party conducted elections by acclamation rather than secret
ballot. Behind the scenes arm-twisting seems to have won the day, an act
that saw the withdrawal of two key contestants (Vice-President George
Saitoti and Minister Joseph Kamotho) from the race. We do not mourn the
departure of these two from the political scene given they have been part of
the cabal that has run down our country. The damage they have caused to the
country cannot be punished enough. However, we regret that the party left
them little chance to contest the positions they so much worked for. The
party also denied delegates the chance to express their preferences. It
would have been a more momentous statement to have the two defeated
thunderously by the gathered delegates.

This was more an exercise in selection than election. We worry that New Kanu
is new only in name, and will continue with the habits of Old Kanu. These
are habits that are responsible for the current decline of a country that
was once Africa’s rising star.

Kenyans expect advancement in democracy in our country, be it in inter- or
intra-party elections. The conduct in Kasarani offers our people little hope
that things will be better with respect to this score under New Kanu.

It is also clear that one person, along with his ‘kitchen cabinet”, remains
in control of the New Kanu agenda: Daniel Arap Moi. This is the same person
who has been at the helm of the country for close to 22 years. In that time,
we have seen the country decline from one of the most promising to an
international basket case. Key indicators (poverty, life expectancy, child
mortality rates, literacy, GDP, name it!) continue to decline even as the
President plots his continued stay in power by remaining in control of New
Kanu, which he hopes will win the next elections. The Young Turks now in
“control” of the party remain no more than surrogates for the perpetuation
of Moi’s rule.

Kenyans must be wary of this development and prepare to send an unmistakable
message to New Kanu that real change is what the country needs. And they
can do so by voting overwhelmingly for change in the coming elections.

Our country needs renewal of the political landscape. We need fresh thinking
as an engine for needed real change to come to our country. The challenge of
New Kanu’s Young Turks is to work for this real change. As a first step,
they MUST prevail on President Moi to retire from power, for real. Failure
to do this will only underscore the perceived picture that they are only
proxies and Trojan Horses for the old order.

At KCA we recognize New Kanu’s impact in the political process in our
country. It is incumbent upon the party to cleanse itself of its old ways
and embark on the course of real change, if it were to offer confidence for
Kenya’s future. The Young Turks have a chance to shape the nature of this
change. They can choose to be like the old generation that Kenyans want
retired or work for the betterment of the country by working for a new
political order.

In either case, wananchi will be watching.

Signed

Matunda Nyanchama, PhD
President of the Kenyan Community Abroad
[email protected]
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The Kenyan Community Abroad, P. O. Box 5635, Washington, D.C. 20016-5635,
USA
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Matunda Nyanchama, Kenyan Community Abroad
(KCA)http://www.kenyansabroad.org;
P. O. Box 5635, Washington, D.C. 20016-5635, USA
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