Re-birth of new Kenya

PNU should pick deputy PM from Coast Province

The signing of the power sharing deal between President Mwai Kibaki and Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader Raila Odinga is good news to every Kenyan and friends of Kenya in the whole world. We join hands with fellow Kenyans not only to congratulate the two leaders for their bold move in signing the accord but also to rejoice.

We all hope that, they will carry through the agreement and that peace will once again prevail in our beloved nation. With the signing of the accord and the forming of the grand coalition, the country will have five senior national leadership positions- the President, Prime Minister, Vice-President, and two deputy premiers.

Given the turmoil that followed after the 2007 General Election, the law or the Act of Parliament which is poised to establish these positions must make provisions that individuals who will hold these positions must hail from different tribes and provinces.
In Lebanon, for example, the law is that if a President is a Muslim, the Prime Minister must be Christian and vice versa. That is what is needed in Kenya not with regard to Muslims and Christians but with regard to different tribes and regions for the five positions.
Individuals must hail from five different tribes and regions. Perhaps, the law must even spell out that one of the five national leadership post must be held by a Muslim.The Muslim constituency is being ignored in Kenya as an important bloc that is only sought after during elections, but that is another subject altogether for another day.

Back to regional and tribal based leadership politics. Nairobi area although considered a province must be excluded from counting as one of the provinces in the distribution of the positions. Any politician elected in one of the Nairobi constituencies should be considered to have hailed from his or her native province.
For instance, Raila, Fred Gumo and Beth Mugo to name but three would be considered to have hailed from Nyanza, Western and Central provinces respectively. As we stand right now the President Kibaki and the V-P Kalonzo Musyoka hail from Central and Eastern provinces respectively.

The Prime Minister would more likely than not going to be from Nyanza – Raila. As for the two deputy premiers ODM would most likely pick a Rift Valley politician, and perhaps on a slightly chance it might opt for Raila’s running mate Musalia Mudavadi (from Western). When I say ODM will on a slim chance picking an individual from Western Province, I am not ignoring the populous Western Province at all.
It must not be forgotten that the region has produced the last three Vice Presidents of the country, from Mudavadi to the late Michael Kijana Wamalwa to the former Funyula MP Moody Awori. Every province but Coast and North Eastern provinces have neither produced a Prime Minister, President, or a Vice President.
Coast Province has not produced any politician who has been privileged to hold either one these national leadership positions in the history of independent Kenya. We have to remember that other than the Presidency, all of these positions are dished out on appointment basis. It is not hard to predict that ODM will likely “elect” or “select” William Ruto as their choice for their party deputy Prime Minister’s slot.

Ruto’s selection to the position by his party is going to be a reward for the Eldoret North MP for being able to rally his populous native Rift Valley behind the ODM train. Although ODM could surprise Kenyans and pick Dr Sally Kosgei for the position, to appease their women supporters but the chances are very slim for such a happening. The Party of National Unity (PNU) slot is the one that is going to be very hard to predict who they are going to pick for the position.
Giving the position to any individual from Central and Eastern provinces will be an imprudent political move. The position should be allocated to the Coast region. Among the five PNU Council members—leaders of their respective political parties—it was only Chirau Ali Mwakwere (Shirikisho) and Uhuru Kenyatta (Kanu) and who retained their Parliamentary seats in the last General Election.

Other council members, Musikari Kombo, Raphael Tuju and Simon Nyachae all lost in their re-election bids. The Matuga MP retained his seat on a PNU banner, as opposed to the Local Government Minister who was re-elected on a Kanu ticket. Boldly speaking, I would urge PNU to seriously consider giving this position to a Coastal politician.

This will go along way in making the people of the region feel that they are recognized and an important and appreciated constituency. In addition, the Coastal people would be able to have pride as being part and parcel of a united Kenya. PNU need to choose wisely.

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Omar Ahmed Ali
Updated on: Sunday, March 02, 2008