There has been a deafening silence from presidential contenders such as Raila Odinga and Kalonzo Musyoka...
Last week Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka left the ODM after weeks of tension with Raila Amolo Odinga its dominant figure...
Raila's juggernaut Raila's seemingly unstoppable campaign for the nomination upsets the rival camp of Kalonzo Musyoka (a Kamba) which has accused the ODM Secretariat run by Raila's ally Peter Anyang' Nyong'o of bias against other candidates...
Presidential hopefuls due to attend were: Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka (Kamba); Uhuru Kenyatta (Kikuyu); William Ruto (Kalenjin/Nandi); Najib Balala (Coast member of parliament for Mvita in Mombasa); Julia Ojiambo (Luhya/Samia); and Wycliffe Musalia Mudavadi (ex-President Daniel arap Moi's last Vice-President)...
The evening we hear was taken up with discussions of a new alliance of Raila (as presidential candidate) and the southern Kikuyu led by Uhuru Kenyatta - which would outflank Kibaki in his Kikuyu bailiwick and lock out Kalonzo Musyoka...
Kalonzo Musyoka leads the ODM candidates in the polls but is sure that Raila is working full-time to deny him victory...
The Secretariat was run on voluntary contributions from ODM members of parliament whose remittances dried up once Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka's allies (Mutula Kilonzo David Musila) and others began complaining that Peter Anyang' Nyong'o and his team (Omingo Magara and Janet Ongera) had turned the party into a Trojan horse for Raila Amolo Odinga...
The ODM is an alliance of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP led by Odinga and Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka) the former ruling Kenya African National Union (KANU led by its 2002 flagbearer Uhuru Kenyatta) and the smaller Labour Party...
Vol 48 No 1 |
- EAST AFRICA
On 11 December the local Steadman opinion polls gave Kibaki a 42% rating against 20% for his nearest rival ODM’s Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka a Kamba...
Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka's supporters want the party to decide as soon as possible so they can start campaigning; Odinga's supporters would prefer the nomination process to be delayed to keep NARC-Kenya guessing...
THE PRESIDENTIAL RUNNERS NAME PARTY SUPPORT BASE CHANCES Mwai Kibaki NARC-Kenya Central Province (Nyeri and environs national alliances through party network) Favourite helped by incumbency Kalonzo Musyoka ODM Ukambani Eastern Province Second favourite liked across Kenya but criticised as lightweight Raila Odinga ODM Luo Nyanza the most loyal but not biggest base Joint third favourite criticised for autocratic style Uhuru Kenyatta KANU Central Province and youth vote Joint third favourite came second in 2002 Musalia Mudavadi ODM Maragoli Western Province Strong compromise candidate William Ruto ODM Kalenjin Rift Valley Province Powerful vote-getter lacks national support Najib Balala ODM Coast Province and Muslim vote Popular but untried in senior jobs Julia Ojiambo ODM Samia Western Province and women Too junior in hierarchy Nicholas Biwott KANU Kalenjin Rift Valley Province Too unpopular to make a serious run ...
Both Moi and Biwott support an alliance with Kibaki and his National Rainbow Coalition Kenya party and oppose Kenyatta's ties with the broad-based opposition Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) led by Raila Omolo Odinga and Kalonzo Musyoka...
Many Kenyans now believe that Kibaki's government is at least as corrupt as that of his predecessor Daniel arap Moi even if they are unsure that voting for an opposition alliance such as the Orange Democratic Movement under Raila Odinga and Kalonzo Musyoka would cut graft more effectively...