Kinyanjui party seeks change in Nakuru politics
As the political realignments gather momentum ahead of next year’s election, two political parties have sprung up in Nakuru County in what is seen as a plot by the founders to control the country’s third biggest voting bloc.
Often considered as the melting point of Kenya’s politics, the 2022 General-Election presents a unique opportunity for the over 950,000 registered voters since- for the first time ever - the devolved unit now boasts of two political parties.
First to be unveiled was the Movement United for Super Action (MUSA) on August 8 by 2017 Nakuru West parliamentary aspirant Victor Ngatia, who is also the party’s secretary general.
With its slogan of ‘Rasilimali Na Kazi’ (resources and work), Ngatia says MUSA was formed to clean the political fabric and bring sanity in leadership and management of public affairs.
In an interview with People Daily, Ngatia maintained the party will take the fight against corruption to the next level by locking out anybody tainted by corruption and other malpractices adding that they fully enforce Chapter Six of the constitution.
Leadership and integrity
Dubbed leadership and integrity, the article prescribes responsibilities, requirements and grounds upon which public officers should operate in discharging their duties.
“As MUSA party we believe things can be done differently. Parties in the country have failed to adhere to Chapter Six of the Constitution on integrity hence poor leadership in the country,” he said during the official launch.
He said that the party also gives the youth a platform for the youth to nurture their leadership skills and take control of their future. Consequently, Orege Arnold Martin, 28, was appointed the National Youth Leader.
“This is a party for the youth and our plan is to field young people in all the 55 electoral wards.
We believe the youth are capable and therefore they should take charge of their destination by taking over the leadership mantle,” said Arnold.
Yesterday, Governor Lee Kinyanjui confirmed he was behind the acquisition of the Citizens Convention Party (CCP) through close associates who have since renamed it Ubuntu People’s Forum (UPF) after being given the green light by the Registrar of political Parties.
Speaking during the swearing in of new County Executive Committee Member (CECM) of Youth, Sports, Gender and Culture Silvia Onyango, Governor Kinyanjui said he was attracted by ideals of Ubuntu from South Africa which means “I am, because you are.”
Noting that leaders have deviated from their calling, Kinyanjui said that it was time to return humanity to politics. “As a country, we have one major problem, we have become very greedy,” he said.
“People get positions for self and personal gain. People go for positions to make money in a quick and fast way and so we have turned ourselves to a man-eat-man kind of society,” the Governor said.
“You are elected MP or governor and from there it is no longer about the people who elected you but yourself and your friends.
We must change this,” he said, adding: “The time for actual politics will come but I have been inspired by South African concept called Ubuntu.”
“We are a brotherhood. It is not about me but us as a community… even if you become the richest man in a village of poor people who cannot feed themselves or children do not go to school that is not a society that we want,” he stated.
“I am saying it is time we return humanity into politics. It is completely gone. We have even forgotten why we go to office,” he said, adding that he will soon take time to explain the Ubuntu principle to Kenyans.
Governor Kinyanjui has on various occasions accused Jubilee Secretary General Raphael Tuju and vice-chairman David Murathe of allegedly ‘killing’ the party. He said the duo are making unpopular and unilateral decisions for the party.
Ngatia has however dismissed the creation of UPF as a plot to undermine their bid to unite the electorate in Nakuru saying MUSA is the only people driven party.
He said the formation of MUSA was informed by the fact that majority of elected leaders were not seeing eye-to-eye.
“All our leaders have their own individual differences and some cannot seat on the same table,” he said citing the case of Governor Kinyanjui and Senator Susan Kihika who has already declared interest in the governorship seat.
“MUSA came in particularly to bring the things that we have to deal with as Nakuru people on the table by putting politics aside… we have an agreement on the issues that need to be tackled then politics can follow,” Ngatia said.
According to him, MUSA is a political vehicle for the ordinary mwanachi noting that Nakuru County has gotten a raw deal in the past by sticking to big political parties.
