Parties craft catchy mission statements

By STEPHEN MAKABILA                
The question of whether attractive manifestos by leading political parties or likely alliances could sway presidential poll results in the coming elections remains debatable.

There are those who argue, for example, in 2007, most major parties’ mission statements focus on social protection programmes aimed at cushioning Kenyans from biting poverty.

And as the coming election draws nearer, political parties have embarked on formulation of their election blueprints. The public, too, must revisit manifestos of political parties and decide who, among top presidential contenders, offer the best hope for the country.

“The public has also the role of ensuring leaders do not make pledges they cannot fulfil or mislead the people of Kenya through empty promises and rhetoric,” noted lawyer Justin Muturi, the Chairman of the Centre for Multi-Party Democracy.

Teachers make demands
Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta has already indicated his new The National Alliance party was a political vehicle for the youth and would be ideologically driven, Prime Minister Raila Odinga has indicated his ODM party will launch its manifesto soon while Ford-Kenya under the chairmanship of Trade Minister Moses Wetangula had its team of experts retreat to Mombasa to develop its blue-print.

Ford-Kenya Executive Director Stephen Namusyule said the party’s retreat in Mombasa last weekend had made progress on development of its manifesto.

“We have identified five pillars which will be tabled before the National Executive Committee next week for approval,” added Namusyule.

The Kenya National Union of Teachers, for example, has vowed to ensure it supports a presidential candidate whose political party has a friendly manifesto for teachers and education sector as a whole.

“We are only going to elect a leader who has the interests of the country’s education sector at heart,” said Knut national chairman Wilson Sossion.

In 2002, Sossion said, teachers supported the Kibaki presidency because the then Narc coalition offered to clear salary increment phases that had earlier been negotiated by the Kanu regime in the late 1990s.

Central Organisation of Trade Unions Secretary-General Francis Atwoli has also indicated workers would either support a candidate with a friendly manifesto or field a candidate of its own.

In 2007, the then PNU coalition had a 10-point manifesto that was launched by Kibaki, with key areas being free basic education, tuition-free technical training in youth polytechnics, free treatment in public health facilities for enrolled children under age five, free antenatal or post-natal care and financing of social welfare and job creation for youth.

Other PNU pledges included doubling of investments in infrastructure, creation of employment and business opportunities for millions of young people, assuring women of more than 30 per cent representation in all public appointments and elective positions, and that all minorities are fully represented in public appointments and a devolution strategy among others.

ODM’s manifesto touched on devolution, building power infrastructure, expanding an oil pipeline to the borders with landlocked neighbours, building a dual carriage way between Mombasa, Busia and Malaba, Nairobi and Nanyuki, Embu, Meru, Isiolo, Marsabit and Wajir and a working and efficient railway system.

Maseno University lecturer Martin Mulwale argues that while manifestos are relevant in modern politics and developed democracies, the Kenyan voting pattern is largely ethnic based.

parties’ Ideologies
“Voters tend to vote where they think their community interests will be well taken care of than basing their decisions on manifestos,” said Dr Mulwale.

Lawyer Muturi says parties should have strong manifestos and be ideologically driven to remain effective institutions of public governance.

“It’s the wish of CMD to see strong parties that are ideology-driven. This is possible under the new Political Parties Act, which requires parties to be run professionally,” added Muturi.
A report by the Institute for Education in Democracy, released a few years back, showed there was little difference in the objectives, structures and leadership styles of local political parties. 

“Even in terms of policies and programmes, the differences are not very significant. Most of the parties have no clear or credible ideology, and their lofty promises are not based on discernible ideals,” read the report in part.

The report further indicated internal democracy was not yet a reality in most of them, while financial constraints sap their strength and hamper their development and that ethnicity dominates the political parties in much the same way that it dominates other spheres of Kenyan life.

Lack of democracy
The situation even now could not have changed much because most of the parties draw their support from ethnic communities while some leaders have bolted out of parties on claims of lack of democracy within.

Among those who have bolted from their parties include Deputy Prime Ministers Uhuru and Musalia Mudavadi and Eldoret North MP William Ruto.

There are indications Lugari MP Cyrus Jirongo, who had formed the United Republican Party with Ruto, was likely to quit the party and form his own, claiming there was no democracy in URP.

A few days back, acting Head of Public Service Francis Kimemia also cautioned against formation of ethnic-based political parties, which he said do not auger well for national unity.