Shirikisho Party of Kenya yesterday endorsed the re-election of President Kibaki following a stormy national delegates conference held in Mombasa.
The conference, that was attended by party leader Chirau Mwakwere, his deputy Morris Dzoro and other leaders from the region, formally passed a decision that had earlier been passed by the national executive council (NEC).
The party leaders, who also included secretary general Yusuff Abubakar, had a difficult time convincing delegates that it would benefit Shirikisho.
Sauda Loda, a delegate from Galole in Tana River, sought to know President Kibaki’s stand on majimbo, since the party supported a federal system of government.
The delegates wanted to be assured of the stakes the party will have in the alliance.
But the party leaders said they had set out conditions, which must be met in the coalition.
“We joined the Kibaki team because our efforts to get entry into ODM were thwarted by their insistence that the party must be dissolved. That could not happen because we need to have our own identity. “Shirikisho is not going into the union as an under dog, but as an equal partner and one of the conditions that must be met is that we be supported and allowed to field civic and parliamentary candidates,” party leader and minister for transport Mr Mwakwere said.
He said President Kibaki showed support for Shirikisho when he campaigned for their candidate, Mr Harry Kombe, in the Magarini by-election.
“This is a chance of a lifetime, to ensure that the region is in the next government and be able to claim a stake in the sharing of national resources,” he said.
Mr Abubakar claimed the majimbo issue, which was the party’s rallying call, was being used for propaganda by ODM. “We are challenging these other parties that have been saying that Kibaki is not for majimbo to show us their manifestos. If President Kibaki supported the Wako Draft during the constitution review, which propagated for a devolved government, how can one go ahead and say that the president did not support majimbo?” Mr Abubakar asked.
A parliamentary aspirant, Mr Fedinand Mwarandu, who opposed the endorsement to support President Kibaki’s re-election was thrown out of the venue when the party’s national vice chairman, Mr Safari Mumba, put the proposition before the delegates for approval.
While most delegates supported the move by to join the Party of National Unity (PNU), Mr Mwarandu shouted saying Shirikisho did not back Kibaki.
Youths beat him up and evicted him from the hall. Complaining about the harassment, Mr Mwarandu said the decision to back President Kibaki was being forced on members.
“I am an aspirant in Kaloleni constituency and as people on the ground we know what people are saying. They support Shirikisho, but they do not back president Kibaki’s re-election bid,” he said.
Know fate of the party
Mr Abubakar, however, said Mr Mwarandu was not a delegate and was only in the meeting as an observer.
“We have also come to learn that the man is an ODM candidate and was only in the meeting to cause chaos,” he said.
Earlier, a section of the delegates demanded to know the fate of the party after backing President Kibaki and expressed reservations that the matter was being rushed without proper consultation.
The delegates also endorsed the party’s manifesto and constitution, which have been reviewed to also allow a provision for party leader and deputy party leader.
Other leaders who spoke in support of the Kibaki re-election were assistant minister Joseph Kingi. He said Shirikisho would enable Coast residents to bargain on national issues.
Story by MAZERA NDURYA Publication Date: 9/30/2007
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