GACHURI’S PUNCHLINE: The party circus is back in town starring Jubilee

In 1849, French writer Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr wrote “…the more things change, the more they stay the same…turbulent changes do not affect reality on a deeper level other than to cement the status quo. A change of heart must accompany experience before lasting change occurs…”

The battle for the soul of the former ruling party, Jubilee, is nothing strange. The coup and counter coup are perfectly within the confines of Kenya’s style and definition of democracy. Right from the days of the independence KANU, to KADU, the operating rule has been to try your best to decimate your opponent, by infiltrating their political parties, poaching members, staging coups and sponsoring dissent.

Jubilee Party is playing perfectly to the old rule book. Not so long ago, it was Ford Kenya on stage. A faction led by the party’s then Secretary General Dr. Eseli Simiyu and senior members like Wafula Wamunyinyi unsuccessfully tried to topple the then party leader Moses Wetangula. When it proved futile, Wamunyinyi, Eseli and the then Defence Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa formed DAP-Kenya.

Back in 2007 in the run up to the General Election, the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party was split between Raila Odinga and Kalonzo Musyoka; the result being ODM-Kenya and ODM. Many years earlier, there was FORD; the Forum for the Restoration of Democracy. The massive opposition outfit split into two; Ford Kenya and Ford Asili. The net result was a divided opposition, handing the late former President Daniel arap Moi a minority win and a formula he went on to apply successfully in winning the 1997 election.

So from Ford to Jubilee, the lesson is really simple - we have not grown in our journey of democracy. There is a lot of ground to cover, if we were to be compared with developed democracies, from whom we have copied and pasted our Constitution and model of governance. In Britain, for example, political party membership is driven by ideology. For years, it has been a two-party system, dominated by the Conservative Party and the Labour Party. In the USA, it is either the Democratic Party or the Republican Party in power. Closer home, there are numerous examples of political parties that have stood the test of time; Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) in Tanzania and the African National Congress (ANC) in South Africa.

In Kenya, since KANU exited the stage after the 2002 General Election, no party has ruled beyond one term. In 2002, NARC was the ruling party, in 2007 it was the Party of National Unity (PNU). In 2013, a coalition of TNA and URP rode to power; in 2017 the Jubilee Party formed government. In the August 9, 2022 polls, the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and Kenya Kwanza alliance by extension won. Do not be surprised if another political party or coalition forms government in 2027. Suprisingly, though, is that though party names keep changing every five years, the main players are largely the same. More like different forests, same monkeys.

Political parties in our country are largely personality driven as opposed to policy anchored. They are not anchored on ideals or principles, but special purpose vehicles for elections. When one party wins and forms government, it will spend a substantial amount of time reminding the opposing political parties and their candidates that they lost in the election. The losing political parties and their candidates will also spend a lot of time claiming their victory was stolen. That cycle continues for five years, paving the way for alignments and realignments in preparation for the next election. That explains why a person supporting one party or coalition in one election will support another party or coalition a short five years later. No ideals, no principles.

This, ladies and gentlemen, is not good for our country’s growth in democracy. Growth of democracy must be in tandem with growth in political parties. Our political landscape must have an identity. It must pursue and embrace ideals and policies. And don’t say, mimi sina shughuli na siasa, hayo ni mambo ya wanasiasa! It should matter to you because political parties are now funded from your pocket, from your taxes. The Political Parties Fund currently stands at Ksh.1.47 billion. That is enough money to drill boreholes, pay fees for thousands of students in secondary schools and so much more!

So, let us demand more from these political parties. If it pains you when you hear of the KEMSA scandal, the NYS scam or the Anglo-leasing looting, then it should bother you when your taxes fund political parties that are not well anchored on the principles of democracy; now and in the future!