Shirikisho’s terms for Kibaki

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The Shirikisho Party of Kenya has endorsed President Kibaki as their favoured presidential candidate — but with strings attached.

The announcement by party director of programmes Sheikh Juma Ngao now puts to rest speculation over their stand and confirms what has been said about the party’s intention since its takeover by Transport minister Chirau Ali Mwakwere.

Sheikh Ngao said the party national executive council meeting at the Reef Hotel last week agreed to back president Kibaki in his re-election bid.
“Out of the 45 officials who attended the meeting, only six opposed the decision, and this means the majority carried the day. We’re now trying to get an appointment to meet the President before he winds up his tour of the Coast,” he said.

Meet conditions

But Sheikh Ngao insisted that the party’s condition for supporting a presidential candidate had to be met.

“We should be allowed to field Shirikisho civic and parliamentary candidates in all the 21 constituencies in the province and a commitment that our party will be allocated senior ministerial positions like Vice President should the coalition form a government,” he said.
Shirikisho Party of Kenya founder members had earlier been enraged by a decision by the party leadership to start campaigning for President Kibaki, saying they had not been consulted.
This followed the erection of banners at strategic places along the streets and roads in Mombasa announcing that Shirikisho was for extension of President Kibaki’s term to 2012.

Founder national treasurer Mwakio Ndau said the party recently taken over by Mr Mwakwere had betrayed the spirit behind the formation of the party that stood for a federal system of government.