In the opposition coalition ODM-Kenya, the headache caused by the competing interests of eight presidential candidates has graduated into a migraine. To stem the possibility of a fallout in the party, the party’s think-tank has come up with an ambitious power sharing structure where the ambitions of each of the candidates eyeing the party’s ticket will be fitted in.
The power sharing structure, which is similar to the one that is claimed to have been part of the MoU that was trashed by Kibaki when he came to power in 2002, includes a president, two vice presidents, a prime minister and three deputy prime ministers.
Yet before the candidates can settle on this formula, they have to go for nomination to determine the party’s presidential candidate. But the party is yet to agree on a nomination mode between consensus as was fronted by Raila Odinga and a delegate’s system as fronted by Kalonzo Musyoka, at the constituency level.
Although Janet Ongera, the party’s executive director said the party is on course in getting ready for the December elections, the party is yet to agree on a method of merging the party structures of the different constituency parties.
Party secretary general Prof. Anyang’ Nyong’o, who was said to be the only person who could speak on the party preparations for the elections, was said to be out of the country. His last attempt to harmonize constituent party structures backfired on him after he sent out a circular declaring that sitting MPs were the party leaders at the constituency level.
This circular was recently withdrawn after party parliamentary aspirants and leaders in the constituent parties went up in arms, claiming that Nyong’o was being dictatorial. But before it has harmonized its structures, the party, as it is today, cannot nominate the presidential, parliamentary, or civic candidates.
Major parties in a quandary: ODM-Kenya
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