Coalitions: Are party hardliners a selfish lot?

Suna East MP Junet Mohamed. [David Njaaga, Standard]

With about 30 days to the deadline for submission of coalition agreements to the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP), fears are emerging that some political operatives may be impeding, instead of aiding, the coalition-building process.

At the centre of the poll drama are the key combatants, Deputy President William Ruto and ODM leader Raila Odinga, who are engrossed in assembling coalition partners and piecing-together terms of engagements, which have to be deposited to the ORPP, by April 9.  

Except for the Wiper Party leader, Kalonzo Musyoka and colleagues in the One Kenya Alliance (OKA), Gideon Moi (Kanu), Martha Karua (Narc-Kenya) and Cyrus Jirongo (United Democratic Party), virtually all the “big boys” are well sorted and are raring to go.

Even as the political leaders race against time, they are confronted with one big challenge – ‘hardliners’ with vested political interests. 

These politicians, observes political scientist Dr Richard Bosire, largely encourage their party leaders to vie for presidency then separately form a ring around them and frustrate coalition overtures where their political benefactor is destined to play “second fiddle”.

“It matters not what the realistic chances of their party bosses are. The whole idea is to ride on their popularity to win individual electoral seats, or get appointed to plum positions in government if they lose and their candidate wins,” observes Dr Bosire, who teaches at the University of Nairobi.

Among the vocal actors currently playing an active role in the coalition-building exercise are Gatundu South MP and Chama Cha Kazi leader, Moses Kuria, Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala, Kitui Senator Enoch Wambua, National Assembly’s Minority Leader Junet Mohamed and Mathira MP Rigathi Gachagua.     

Noting that political hardliners have always existed from 2007 during the post-election peace negotiations, to the 2018 Handshake between President Uhuru Kenyatta and Mr Odinga, Defence Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa says that the best way out of political gridlock necessitated by hardliners is to focus on what is good for the country and not individuals.

“I know some of us (politicians) are lethargic in the ongoing negotiations, partly because we want to ride on the popularity of our party leaders to get elected to our various positions,” says Mr Wamalwa, who has associated himself with the Democratic Action Party of Kenya (DAP-K). 

And nobody, perhaps, best understands the intricacies of cobbling a working coalition in line with the available time frames, than Moses Kuria.  

After being bedridden for 137 days in a Dubai hospital, the outspoken politician hit the road running upon returning to Kenya in February. He quickly embarked on coalition-building talks, targeting OKA and Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza Alliance.

However, things appear not to have moved as smooth and fast as he had anticipated. First, Mr Kalonzo dismissed one of his terms of joining OKA which was that they do not team up with the Raila-led Azimio la Umoja.  

“Time is of the essence here and I have picked my jersey already and I am moving on to the next stage,” Kuria said in reference to aligning himself with the Ruto-led coalition. 

Kuria, however, maintains that the talks with OKA’s principals, Baringo Senator Gideon Moi, Ms Karua and Jirongo continue. If and when the talks with the OKA chiefs become fruitful, as Kuria puts it, “we shall team up later.”

The ‘hardliner’ tag is apparently used by either side of the political divide that regards their partner’s or rival’s stand rigid or unacceptable.

The latest politician to get this tag is Mathira MP, Rigathi Gachagua, after he said that the slot of Dr Ruto’s running mate is reserved for the Mount Kenya region.

Never mind that Gachagua’s sentiments are politically logical, at least with regard to the huge voter population in the region, which the Ruto campaign is targeting. But for this particular pronouncement, he was regarded as rigid and ANC’s secretary-general, Simon Kamau, told him off.

Mr Rigathi’s reaction to the Musalia-Wetangula pair, is indeed not the first. In a rejoinder to newspaper reports about a power-sharing deal between the duo and Dr Ruto, United Democratic Alliance’s (UDA) chair, Johnson Muthama, stated that the party had no coalition agreement with the ANC and Ford Kenya leaders.

The two, he said, were operating on the basis of friendship – a claim that the UDA leadership trashed.

Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria. [Kipsang Joseph, Standard]

Some immediately accused Muthama of maintaining a hardline stance on the “new comers”. Interestingly, the former Machakos Senator does not refute the hardliner tag.

“It all depends on who you are and from which angle you are viewing me. It is true some people believe that I am a hardliner while to others I am a calm politician. All this is because I am firm and truthful,” Mr Muthama said. With reference to the Musalia-Wetang’ula incident, Mr Muthama maintains that by the time of addressing the media, there was nothing tangible between the pair and UDA, “and I had to tell my members the truth since the issue was creating anxiety within.” 

There has been a discourse among politicians, particularly those allied to ANC and Ford-Kenya to the effect that the slot of the DP should go to either of the two politicians since it would be unfair for Dr Ruto’s UDA to be allocated both presidency and the deputy.

According to Kuria, entertaining such a discussion at this point is dangerous for the Ruto-led coalition. ANC and Ford-Kenya consider that as a hardline.

Similarly, the ANC allied politicians, like Mr Malala, who are still spreading hope that their party boss – Musalia – “is still on the ballot” are regarded as hardliners by UDA backers.

Within the Orange party, Junet Mohamed, who is the party’s director of elections has been labeled by fellow politicians – both in Orange and rival camps – as a hardliner.

If he is not firing back at rival camps over what he considers as undermining his party boss, then he is pushing the Orange party’s agenda so hard to the exclusion of the rest.

In January, he warned aspirants in Nyanza region eyeing tickets from other parties other than ODM that “we will treat you like our enemies.”

And although Mr Junet has since corrected the impression, pointing out that he was only advancing the need for locals voting for candidates only from Mr Odinga’s Orange party, his sentiments had already been received in negative light. “Whatever I do, I do so for the greater good of my party leader and my party. I am also aware, though, that I am target of all manner of attack by those who are unhappy about my closeness to Raila. And this is the lot that sometimes twists or exaggerates facts to paint me in bad light,” said the National Assembly’s Minority Whip.   

Although criticised by some, analysts point out that hardliners play an important role in political discourse. And some “victims” of this tag are similarly happy about their task. In January, Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala proudly proclaimed himself as the Junet Mohamed of ANC.

“Let’s not lie to one another, you heard what Junet once said. He said he was a warrior of the Orange party and that that he would not think twice on directives given by Raila. Me too, I am Musalia’s Junet,” said Mr Malala.

Separately, Mr Wamalwa fears that Mr Kalonzo could be a victim of the hardline positions within his party. Senator Wambua, alongside his Makueni counterpart, Mutula Kilonzo Jr, are among those who have been viewed as hardliners in Mr Kalonzo’s camp. It is a label the Kitui Senator refutes, stating that he is incapable of solely influencing the position of his more politically experienced party boss.

“I am not a hardliner. What I state is purely the standpoint of my party leader and I therefore only amplify his sentiments. I can never hurt him politically by contradicting his position,” he said.

Mr Wamalwa dissuades the former vice president from taking the middle ground position. “I want to appeal to my senior brother to shake off hardliners, if he has any, and team up with either Mr Odinga or Dr Ruto. Coming in the wake of the DP’s rigging claims in the US, Kenyans deserve a clear winner on August 9,”  Mr Wamalwa said.

The CS believes there is adequate time to meet the timelines set by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).

“Merger and partnership discussion are ongoing among various parties and players, who are well aware of all the crucial deadlines. As DAP-K, we are alive to the IEBC timelines, much as we may not be privy to other related developments like partners joining Azimio caravan,” Mr Wamalwa said.

Kuria concurs: “It all depends on the parties or individuals involved. In our case (Kenya Kwanza Alliance), our presidential nominee is  already known and what remains is getting a technical team to work on our terms of engagement, sign the pact and hit the campaign trail.” According to Dr Bosire, hardliners are crucial players in negotiations the world over and their role is even recognised in international agreements. The only difference, he said, is that some are extremists and utterly selfish.

“Politics is about interests and individual gains and if collapsing a party to join a new coalition amounts to losing control of resources and influence, then naturally people will resist or frustrate the process,” he said.