Original Narc is back

An elaborate political scheme could be under way to repackage the faded National Rainbow Coalition (Narc) into a formidable machine that would spearhead President Kibaki’s re-election.
Narc — which two years ago had been written off as a coalition bereft of constituent parties — could get a new lease of life from the so-called ‘Kibaki-friendly’ parties.

The strategy involves calling in all the regional parties friendly to Government and enticing them to coalesce around Narc as the vehicle for Kibaki’s shot at a second term in office.

The plan would see Narc-Kenya, which had hitherto posed as Kibaki’s party of choice, become part of the revived Narc — the coalition on whose ticket the President was elected in 2002.
One Cabinet minister told The Standard: "We would like him (the President) to remain in Narc then we revamp it because we don’t want him to become the first President to decamp from a party that sponsored him."

Already, a meeting of like-minded pro-Kibaki parties has been scheduled for Friday. The parties so far listed are Narc-Kenya, Ford-People, Ford-Kenya, Shirikisho, DP, Sisi kwa Sisi and the National Party of Kenya (NPK).
The organisers have left out LDP, which was a key member of the original Narc coalition.
The organisers hope to form a coalition strong enough to face off with ODM-Kenya, in which LDP is a key player.

Convergence strategy

A team close to the President has tasked the former Narc co-ordinating committee chairman, Dr Noah Wekesa, to convene and co-ordinate a meeting of Kibaki-friendly parties.
Three Cabinet ministers, Wekesa, Njeru Ndwiga and Mutahi Kagwe on Tuesday confirmed that all parties friendly to President Kibaki were working closely to a "convergence strategy" for the incumbent’s victory.

Ten Cabinet ministers are among key officials of political parties invited to the first such meeting in Nairobi this Friday.
"We have been having meetings which have culminated in the formation of the interim committee to push President Kibaki’s re-election agenda," added Wekesa.
"We have invited two representatives of each political party in our circle to the meeting to discuss how to strengthen the team around President Kibaki in a coalition," said Wekesa.
Sources also confirmed that the organisers would like to have parties from across the country to give the camp a national face.
Health minister Mrs Charity Ngilu, who is the Narc chairperson, remains a crucial entity in such a coalition.

Asked by The Standard if she had been approached about the plan to revamp Narc, Ngilu said without elaborating: "I am open to negotiations."
Ngilu would have to accede to the plan to have Kibaki as the party’s first among equals for the plan to run smoothly. Her refusal in the past to cede the top position is what forced Kibaki’s allies in Government to form Narc-Kenya as a safety net for the incumbent’s re-election after the ruling coalition fell apart over an unfulfilled pre-election Memorandum of Understanding.
Structures to be activated

Insiders said the recent defection of several Coast ministers into Shirikisho was part of an elaborate strategy to create regional blocs that would rally around the Narc coalition.
Several party leaders confirmed that they had been contacted by Wekesa and would attend the Friday meeting.
Assistant minister Ms Cecily Mbarire, a close Ngilu ally, confirmed that NPK had received an invitation.

The Democratic Party of Kenya secretary-general, Mr George Nyamweya, said DP had been invited to the meeting, to be held at Palacina Hotel.
It also expected that Agriculture minister Mr Kipruto Kirwa would be attending as he is the President’s key pointman in the populous Rift Valley Province.
Last week’s State House meeting between Kibaki and Ford-Kenya MPs led by chairman Mr Musikari Kombo agreed that the coalition would be structured on similar lines to the 2002 one.
They also agreed that the structures of the original Narc, including the Council, be activated.
According to the source, they agreed to field one presidential candidate with different parliamentary and civic candidates.

The Ford-People leader, Mr Simeon Nyachae, vowed to fully support President Kibaki’s re-election bid.
"As far as I know, I remain the party leader of Ford People and we have taken a decision. We will support Kibaki in the General Election. I cannot exclude myself", he said in Nairobi.
Shirikisho Party of Kenya (SPK) said it was open to the idea of forming a coalition, with Kibaki as their presidential candidate.

Although SPK National Chairman Mr Mwashengu wa Mwachofi said the party had not received the invitation to the meeting, he did not rule out joining the initiative.
Wekesa said Kombo and his party’s secretary-general, Mr John Munyes, have confirmed attendance of the meeting.
He said he had invited Narc-Kenya, whose chairman is Foreign Affairs Minister Mr Raphael Tuju.
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Reported by Standard Team : Ayub Savula, Andrew Teyie, Joseph Murimi, Patrick Wachira and Mathias Ringa