Kanu gears up for 2017 polls, targets 60 seats

KANU secretary general Nick Salat on 25-06-15. [Photo/Tabitha Otwori/STANDARD]

Kanu is targeting 60 National Assembly seats in an elaborate plan to form the Government after the 2017 elections.

Kanu Secretary General Nick Salat said according to the plan, the seats will hand the party the position of majority leader in Parliament, and strong negotiation with other parties for the formation of a post-election alliance.

The party will fight it out with Deputy President William Ruto’s United Republican Party (URP), which currently controls most of the counties in Rift Valley with a few exceptions. West Pokot is one of the exceptions - it is under Kanu.

Ruto has announced that he will be running with President Uhuru Kenyatta under the Jubilee Alliance Party (JAP) in 2017.

The party is also targeting at least five governors from Rift Valley, Western, Coast and Northern Kenya. Speaking during the party’s national executive meeting held at the party’s headquarters yesterday, Salat said Kanu would reap from "the collapse" of URP.

“We are bringing back Kanu and are looking to have 60 MPs and at least five senators and an equal number of governors. We have most of the Rift Valley constituencies, Marsabit, Isiolo Moyale, North Eastern and parts of Coast in our plans. These areas have been receptive to us so far.”

Currently, Kanu has six MPs, with West Pokot’s John Lonyangapuo as the only senator while URP has 58 MPs and eight senators mostly drawn from the pastrolist communities.

A draft strategy paper seen by The Standard identifies Turkana, West Pokot, Samburu, Trans Nzoia, Uasin Gishu, Elgeyo/Marakwet, Nandi and Baringo as the main targets. Others are Kericho, Bomet and Narok.

The party has been meeting delegates from all counties in the past one week, with a host of strategists engaging them. Salat said they will be using their 55th anniversary celebrations to reactivate their networks starting next week.

“We will be having a road show starting from Mai Mahiu to Elgeyo/Marakwet where a marathon has been planned as a climax ahead of a political rally. It will be a month-long exercise,” said Salat.

He said the party will hold a national youth congress at a later date in Nairobi.