Ford People party to join Jubilee amid resistance

Ford People, which was founded by former powerful Cabinet Minister Simeon Nyachae, will dissolve and join President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Jubilee Party.

Party interim chairman Albert Nyaundi said members had decided to join JP, where it will negotiate for positions ahead of the elections.

But some party officials yesterday protested the decision, saying they were not consulted before it was made. The party, which broke away from the late Martin Shikuku’s Ford Asili in the run up to the 2002 General Election, was a one time popular political outfit in Kisii region and won 14 of the 210 parliamentary seats - most of them from Gusii land - in 2002.

It was also this party that Nyachae used to vie for the presidency the same year after he fell out with the National Rainbow Coalition (Narc) that propelled retired President Mwai Kibaki to power.

After the 2007 elections, the party entered into an alliance with President Kibaki’s Party of National Unity (PNU) through which one of its MPs, former West Mugirango’s Henry Obwocha, was appointed Minister for Planning and National Development.

Obwocha later become the party’s chairman until recently when Nyaundi took over. The party has three elected MPs.

Yesterday, it was not clear if Mr Nyachae had given his blessing for the party’s dissolution. But the presence of his son, former Commission for the Implementation of the Constitution Chairman Charles Nyachae, during the Friday meeting could be a sign he had been fully briefed.

Also surprising was the presence of Kisii Deputy Governor Joash Maangi, who is an Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) official in the county.

Maangi said the community should come together and join Jubilee in forming the next government.

“We are moving forward in the right direction. We have joined Jubilee and all we can tell our critics is to watch this space,” he said. Maangi and Senator Chris Obure have been leading Kisii leaders to State House visits.

Maangi said he could run against his boss James Ongwae next year. He said his group, which has been preaching Gusii unity, will unveil its political line-up for the next polls.

But even as Nyaundi made the announcement, his interim Vice Chairman James Kenani said the decision to dissolve the party was not discussed by the National Executive Committee.

Kenani accused Nyaundi for overstepping his mandate.

“The party constitution is clear on how to make such decisions,” he said.

However, Nyaundi said those opposing the move were at liberty to join other political parties.

“That is there democratic right and they are free to say all they want,” he said, adding that at the moment their agenda was to unite the Gusii community and mobilise voters to support Jubilee.

Ford People will be among the parties whose delegates will converge for the Jubilee National Convention in Nairobi on September 8, 9 and 10 during which JP will be launched.

During the Friday meeting of party members and officials dubbed the “Sameta Declaration”, Nyaundi declared they will crisscross Kisii and Nyamira counties to popularise the party.

Ford People MPs Richard Tongi (Nyaribari Chache), Stephen Manoti (Bobasi) and Zebedeo Opore (Bonchari) attended the meeting.

Gusii Council of Elders chairman Araka Matundura also attended, with Nyaundi calling him a friend of the party.

The presence of Nyachae in the meeting sent a strong message to party members, with some saying the decision to dissolve the party could have had Patron Simon Nyachae’s blessings.

Nyaundi said the party will hold meetings in the entire Gusii region.

“We are ready to follow President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto on their political direction,” he said.

Bobasi MP Stephen Manoti said the community will not achieve any meaningful development if they go into the elections divided based on political parties.

“We must be ready to shun our political differences and come together as leaders for the sake of our community. We are missing out on a number of issues because we lack unity of purpose,” said Manoti.

Even as leaders continue to engage in political supremacy battles in Kisii County, the October 28 Nyacheki ward by-election is set to awaken the rivalry between CORD and Jubilee politicians.

The Jubilee team is keen to capture the seat that was held by ODM’s Peter Ongeri who died last month.

The contest is also likely to be a litmus test for Gusii Unity Talks Caucus. Nyacheki is within the home turf of Obure, who is leading the unity talks team.