Senator Khalwale and Omar Hassan holding their Party leader hostage

The count down to the 2017 general election is fast gaining momentum and key political parties are realigning themselves. The leading presidential candidates in Uhuru Kenyatta, Raila Odinga and Musalia Mudavadi are up and down in their preparation for the same by trying to put their respective houses in order. So far, Uhuru has seen his new vehicle for 2017 in Jubilee registered while Mudavadi has concentrated in popularizing his ANC that was registered sometime back last year. It is the CORD leader who seems to remain at cross roads on whether to go it alone as ODM or pursue the Jubilee route by registering CORD as a party.

So far, it seems like the three main partners in CORD in the name of ODM, WIPER and FORD Kenya are in agreement that they should register CORD as a party that will have corporate membership in terms of parties. The original idea is to have the would-be presidential candidate vie on a CORD ticket but at the same time retaining the identity of the member parties unlike Jubilee that dissolved their individual parties. However, what seems to be the elephant in the house is whether the corporate members should too hold joint nominations for other positions other than the presidency.

ODM seems to be keen on having joint nominations under the CORD party. In doing this, they feel that it will avoid divisions in votes amongst CORD partner parties, something that will likely give their opponent an edge. WIPER and FORD – K on the other hand hold that they will only have joint nomination for the presidential candidate but field aspirants in all the other positions save for Nairobi where they members will have to agree. This may sound the party’s positions, but a closer analysis tells one to the contrary for just like ODM, both WIPER and FORD – K will wish to see their coalition carry the day. The problem is on how to accommodate Senator Bonny Khalwale and his counterpart in WIPER senator Omar Hassan.

Senator Khalwale has declared his interest for the Kakamega gubernatorial position which is currently held by ODMs Deputy party leader and Raila key ally governor Wycliffe Oparanya. The main target for Senator Khalwale is to be on the ballot come 2017, something he believes if they hold joint nominations, then it may only remain a pipe dream. He believes that Raila favours Oparanya and in the event that they hold joint nominations, then he is likely to be sacrificed in favour of Oparanya. This is something he has been vocal about and one of the reason he is pushing FORD – K leadership never to allow joint nominations. Senator Wetangula banks on Khalwale to aid him in his campaigns and one of the reasons he was awarded the deputy party leader position. How to accommodate CORD’s interests and that of Khalawale is what has put Wetangula at crossroads.

Things are not different either in the case of Senator Omar Hassan who has declared his interest in Mombasa gubernatorial position. He wishes to unseat ODMs deputy party leader and Raila’s key ally at the coast Governor Hassan Joho. Omar believes that in the event that joint nominations are conducted under the CORD party, then he won’t see the ballot. This is the reason he is pushing WIPER leadership never to travel that route.  WIPER leader Kalonzo banks on Omar, who is the party’s secretary General, in appeasing the coastal region to his side of the bargain. How to balance his ambitions for Mombasa governorship and that interest of WIPER in CORD is the elephant in the house.

How the two, Kalonzo and Wetangula, will solve this matrix remains to be seen, but one thing that seems evident is the fact that both Khalwale and Omar will stop at nothing in trying to become governors in their respective counties.