Kenya Election Watch: Weekly Updates
Week of June 28 July 4, 2002
Summary: Welcome to this edition of Kenya Election
Watch’s Weekly Updates! Here, we provide our readers with summaries of news
stories covering the election, constitutional reform, and related issues culled
from Kenya’s two major daily newspapers: The Daily Nation; and The East African
Standard. Each month, we pick out the major events from these weekly updates
and post them on the main Kenya Election Watch page, along with one or two
analysis pieces. The “week” period normally covers Fridays to Thursdays. We
also provide a brief summary of the major trend or event of the week. For more
information or comments, contact Kenya Election Watch editor Cathy Majtenyi at:
cathymaj@hotmail.com
Two issues dominated this week: Kanu’s meeting at
Kamukunji grounds in Nairobi, and the statement by the British High Commissioner
to Kenya, Sir Edward Clay, that London
is opposed to the extension of the life of parliament. In the first, the
gathering by Kanu was the first such meeting it has ever held in the capital. Analysts
stated that the meeting was an indirect way of kicking off the party’s campaign
trail.
The second issue occurred on July 2 when Clay repeated
Britain’s opposition to the proposed extension of Kenya's Parliament. He said
this during a joint press conference with the Minister of State in the Office
of the President, Julius Sunkuli. While Sunkuli defended Kanu's push for an
extension and described it as "inevitable" but the High Commissioner
termed it "inappropriate." "The possibility of a constitutional
amendment to extend the life of Parliament seems to us the least desirable of
outcomes. That is my view and it hasn't changed," Clay said. It was the
second time in four weeks that the High Commission had spoken out against
Kanu's proposal to reschedule the General Election. Its first public reaction
coincided with a statement from the United States Embassy opposing the move.
Acronyms
All throughout the chronology and updates are
sprinkled acronyms referring to various committees, commissions, political
movements, etc. Here, we spell out these acronyms and provide some brief
background information.
CKRC = Constitution of Kenya Review Commission. Chaired
by Prof. Yash Pal Ghai, the 27-member group collects the views of a wide
cross-section of Kenyan groups and individuals. The commission is supposed to
present Kenyans with a new constitution on October 4.
PSCCR = Parliamentary Select Committee on
Constitutional Review. Chaired by Raila Odinga, Minister of Energy, the
committee monitors the work of the Constitution of Kenya Review Commission
(CKRC).
KANU = Kenya African National Union, the party that
has ruled Kenya since independence. Daniel arap Moi is the president of Kenya.
NAC = National Alliance for Change. This is a
grouping of the Democratic Party, FORD-Kenya, National Party of Kenya (NPK),
FORD-Asili, the unregistered Saba Saba Asili, SPARK, and several advocacy
groups. The group is striving to field one presidential candidate.
KPC = Kenya People's Coalition. This is a grouping
of FORD-People, Safina, the Labour Party of Kenya, and the National Convention
Executive Council (NCEC).
MPs = Members of Parliament. Currently, the House
contains a total of 222 MPs.
Events
Nation, June 28- Trailed by police
and guided by lanterns and car headlights, Kanu rebel Kipkalya Kones took the
campaign for his new Ford People party to President Moi's backyard in Baringo
Central Constituency. Kones, accompanied by Safina secretary-general Juma
Kiplenge, attended two "receptions" one at Kapchepkendi in Marigat
Division and the other at Loboi trading centre. Lanterns and car headlights lit
the grounds during the two-hour meeting held after dusk at Kapchepkendi as the
crowd chanted Ford People slogans. Kones responded with tough talk, saying the
Kalenjin would elect leaders of their own choice and reject "heirs"
imposed on them when President Moi retired from politics.
Nation, June 29- President Moi re-affirmed Kanu's
commitment to a new constitution before the General Election. He expressed the
party's support for a request to extend time for the Constitution of Kenya
Review Commission to finish its work. He emphasised that Kanu believed the
forthcoming elections should be carried out under a new constitution. President
Moi was speaking at the Intercontinental Hotel at a dinner party hosted to
celebrate the merger between Kanu and the National Development Party.
Sunday Nation, June 30- President Moi
announced his retirement in the most categorical statement on his future so
far. "I want to announce that my retirement period has come. . . after
this election. All I want to do now is to leave you in peace," he said. The
President repeated that he is to retire a record four times in his 30-minute
speech to thousands of supporters who turned up for a Kanu rally at Nairobi's
Kamukunji grounds.
Announcing that he would soon name his successor, the
President said he wanted to put to rest speculation locally and abroad that he
intended to cling on to power. But his announcement is unlikely to reduce
uncertainty over the poll since he did not say when the elections would be
held.
Sunday Nation, June 30- Nairobi Mayor Dick
Waweru officially defected to Kanu. Waweru of the Democratic Party announced
the move at a Kanu rally attended by President Moi at the historic Kamukunji
grounds yesterday. He said: "I am now declaring in broad daylight for all
and sundry to hear; that I will sing and dance to the Kanu tune. Those who have
been claiming that I have been doing so in secrecy should now hear
this..." Waweru, the Ruai ward councillor, was immediately asked by the
President to take charge of Kanu affairs in Embakasi constituency.
Nation, July 1- Members of
Parliament who have pledged to oppose the extension of the House have been
warned against breaking their promise. Led by Official Opposition leader Mwai
Kibaki and Ford Kenya national chairman Michael Wamalwa, 13 MPs warned their
colleagues to be careful not to betray the electorate. Last week, more than 80
MPs from different parties signed a petition opposing plans by Kanu to have
Parliament extended. The statement indicated that they would vote against any
motion brought to the House to amend the Constitution to allow the extension. "Any
MP who changes his stand during voting in Parliament will be known to have been
bought and the electorate should not return him to the House," Wamalwa
said.
Nation, July 1- The new Kanu
vision unveiled on June 29 was roundly dismissed as diversionary and "an
empty campaign gimmick". Speaking separately, opposition leaders accused
Kanu of taking Kenyans for granted, asserting that its vision for the new
millennium launched by President Moi at the weekend contained the same pledges
the government had failed to implement over the years. Former Law Society of
Kenya (LSK) chairman Kamau Kuria
described President Moi's promise that the new constitution will create
"big posts" as imposing a new document on Kenyans.
Standard, July 2- British High
Commissioner to Kenya Edward Clay and Office of the President Minister Julius
Sunkuli publicly differed over the bid to extend the life of the current
Parliament. Whereas Sunkuli maintained that the extension is inevitable, Clay
said it was not a desirable move. The British High Commissioner said the
country is in a dilemma as to whether it is possible that the Constitution of
Kenya Review Commission (CKRC) can complete its work and effect the necessary
amendments to the Constitution. Clay added that it was still uncertain whether
it was feasible for Kenya to go to the polls in December under the old
Constitution.
Standard, July 2- Police gave
consent to Ugenya Member of Parliament James Orengo to hold a Saba Saba rally
at the historic Kamukunji grounds next Sunday July 7). The police also promised
to provide security during the meeting organised by the Opposition and convened
by Orengo from the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the National Convention
Executive Council (NCEC) co-convenor Davinder Lamba. The convenors were assured
by the Officer Commanding Buru Buru Police Division (OCPD) Njue Njagi that the
police would provide security during the Saba Saba rally. The meeting will be
held a week after President Moi held a similar gathering.
Nation, July 2- Britain repeated
its opposition to the proposed extension of Kenya's Parliament. High
Commissioner Edward Clay and Cabinet Minister Julius Sunkuli differed sharply
at a Press conference over Kanu's demand for a constitutional amendment , which
would push the General Election to May and extend President Moi's term of
office. The two spoke out politely but firmly when the envoy called on Mr
Sunkuli, a minister in the President's Office, at his Harambee House office. Sunkuli
defended Kanu's push for an extension and described it as
"inevitable" but the High Commissioner termed it
"inappropriate." "The possibility of a constitutional amendment
to extend the life of Parliament seems to us the least desirable of outcomes. That
is my view and it hasn't changed," Clay said after his closed-door meeting
with the minister.
It was the second time in four weeks that the High
Commission had spoken out against Kanu's proposal to reschedule the General
Election. Its first public reaction coincided with a statement from the United
States Embassy opposing the move.
Nation, July 2- Vice-President
George Saitoti said no amount of wooing by the
opposition would make him abandon Kanu. Prof Saitoti said he and the
Maasai community had resolved to remain in Kanu "come what may". He
told "political merchants" to keep off Kajiado and Narok
districts. His remarks were endorsed by
a Minister in the Office of the President, Mr William ole Ntimama, and an
Assistant Minister for Tourism, Mr David Sankori, who said the community would
remain in Kanu and continue supporting its chairman, President Moi. There have
been occasional calls to the VP to join the opposition since the March 18
merger between Kanu and the National Development Party. Prof Saitoti, who was
Kanu's vice-chairman, withdrew as a contestant for one of the four positions of
vice- chairman at the last minute.
Nation, July 3- Former Kanu
secretary-general Joseph Kamotho faced a fresh onslaught from the party's Young
Turks, who accused him of refusing to toe the party line. Some of them want him
sacked as Environment minister for what they perceive as his snubbing of the
party's Kamukunji rally, held last Saturday (June 29) and addressed by
President Moi. An Assistant Minister Musa Sirma described Mr Kamotho as a
liability to Kanu. He appealed to President Moi to dismiss Mr Kamotho "in
the interest of the party". Cabinet Ministers Uhuru Kenyatta and William
Morogo and Kanu MPs Peter Maundu and Eric Morogo attended the meeting. But, in
a quick rejoinder, Mr Kamotho dismissed his critics as "directionless
opportunists and people drunk with power."
Standard, July 3- Kanu accused the
British High Commissioner to Kenya Edward Clay of meddling in the country’s
affairs. Reacting to Clay’s opposition to the extension of the life of
Parliament, the party’s Secretary for Legal and Constitutional affairs Otieno
Kajwang' said the envoy’s remark was "in serious breach of protocol."
Kajwang', who is the Member of Parliament for Mbita, dismissed the envoy’s
opinion as an attempt to dictate to Kenyans. "The amendment of the
Constitution to provide for a possible extension in case of a specific
eventuality (if a new constitutional dispensation is not in place by January 4,
2003) is inevitable," he said. He added that Parliament would determine
whether such an eventuality exists and will respond accordingly. "Kenyans
will take no orders either from foreign envoys or foreign governments,"
Kajwang' declared.
Nation, July 4- Kenyans want
elections held this year under a new constitution, an opinion poll revealed. And
they do not think it is necessary to extend parliament to ensure the new
constitution is in place. In fact a large majority of those interviewed for the
poll - 63.5 per cent - did not want parliament to be extended in order to allow
the review to be completed. The review should be finished before the General
Election, said 42.3 per cent of those interviewed for the poll - and 26.6 per
cent did not want the reforms linked to the elections. Minimum reforms before
the election were wanted by only 15.7 per cent of those interviewed for the
poll, which was commissioned by Nation Media Group. Conversely, one in four of
those questioned - 25.4 per cent - said they supported an extension, if only to
allow the completion of a comprehensively reviewed constitution. However, one
in every three Kenyans (32.5 per cent) did want elections under the existing
constitution while 11.7 pe
r cent said they had no opinion on that issue.
ENDS