Ever since Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka fled with the registration instruments of the original ODM in 2007, leaving Raila Odinga briefly without a political party, the trend within Kenyan politics has been for every politician who considers himself big enough for national impact to acquire his own party.
The habit is born of the mistrust from, among others, the 2007 fiasco between Kalonzo and Raila, but mostly the fear that one may be denied a ticket by “owners” of a party, presumably assisted in no small measure by national intelligence.
It was therefore expected that a political party with Linda Mwananchi supremo, Edwin Sifuna, as its party leader, was always coming.
Even though a few movement colleagues had unveiled their own parties, conventional wisdom had it that the Sifuna presidential candidacy would only be safe in a vessel in which he was the undisputed leader. And the wait had been long and anxious.
It is important to note, at this juncture, that the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties is one of the institutions in the country that needs very urgent reforms to conform with the Constitution and changing times.
The office is still stuck in an era long gone by, when the registration of parties hinged on presidential or Executive whims.
The saga around the attempt to register the Linda Mwananchi movement brought out the shame and foolishness of some of the people who run these offices.
As the Political Parties’ Dispute Tribunal (PPDT) ruled on September 30 on this matter, many parties already share some words within their names, and since the advent of multi-party democracy, we have had several variants of Ford, democratic and movement dotting the political landscape.
The PPDT was therefore at a loss as to how the words Linda and Mwananchi, which are first of all independent Swahili words in their own right, would end up being the preserve of certain parties only.
Mercifully, the PPDT’s ruling put the brakes on the unnecessary drama by reserving the name of the Linda Mwananchi movement to the Sifuna team.
But it still left a sour taste in the mouth, given the callous manner and the closeness to the rolling timelines of the 2027 general election, that this was done. In many other jurisdictions, the registrar would be sued to take individual responsibility for playing political games with such a monumental constitutional duty.
Be that as it may, the unveiling of The Equitable Party, a rather bizarrely-monikered and abbreviated name that is a complete switch from the flowing phraseology offered by the easy-on-the-mouth Linda Mwananchi, portends interesting times within Kenya’s political landscape.
At the very least, the first effect is that the Nairobi senator now has a clear ticket for a presidential run, without being encumbered by the previous declarations among the co-principals of his movement that “there will be negotiations before we agree on a joint candidate”.
I have stated here several times before that the movement was born out of the desire of the masses, especially the youths of the country, to prop up Sifuna as president. It bore and largely still bears his name. Any previous attempts to create other presidential aspirants within the Linda Mwananchi movement were, for lack of a better word, mischievous.
After the long wait, reports indicated that a flood of registrations followed the TEP’s Sunday launch, causing the channel to crash at some point. The excitement hit fever pitch, and confirmed the anxiety that had punctuated the long wait for Sifuna’s new political house.
It may not seem like it at face value, but for the Nairobi senator, the hard work actually began that Sunday after the unveiling.
Truth be said, the Linda Mwananchi rallies across the country have been greeted with podium and protocol chaos, largely because the movement was beholden to the need to make collegiate decisions, which in such set-ups usually end up compromising on order and discipline.
But TEP, as Sifuna’s party, or when it finally rebrands as desired, will be hard-pressed to show more organisation, to convince the masses of its readiness to run a government.
The second immediate need, of course, is to create functional structures in all counties. It is possible that Sifuna’s new money may have a larger reach and membership across the country than even Raila’s ODM ever did.
The problem with that is that these large numbers will come with fresh challenges over how to harness this resource and turn it into a powerful, organised electoral tool.
For reference, the campaign will readily look at Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign. Even though that campaign was celebrated as a masterclass in creating a massive grassroots and volunteer network, it also came with a lot of friction over the operations and management of such a huge human resource.
A hugely popular mass movement of this nature obviously experiences challenges with the enthusiasm of such a large base, and the attendant need to balance out the egos, desires and aspirations of everyone. And this goes beyond just the masses to those seeking elective positions in the party.
For all intents and purposes, Sifuna’s presidential campaign starts now. If there are no hitches on the rebranding and name change from TEP to the Linda Mwananchi movement, the more popular and already widely used name will come in handy.
Obviously, what will also need to come quickly are real sponsors of the run, unlike the one currently christened “sponyo”, but who doesn’t quite fund the outfit.
Of course, a presidential campaign will not be funded by intermittent harambees by market women. The rubber is now set to meet the road, and the money demand will be heavy duty.
In the short term, the quest for opposition unity may have received a shot in the arm via this new party. Having established a legal and structural platform through which to move his presidential ambitions forward, the Nairobi senator now possesses the tool to affirm his support in the country and to engage with other top contenders like DCP leader Rigathi Gachagua and Kalonzo, in order to move forward his presidential ambitions.
Incidentally, Sifuna’s party will also undoubtedly be a magnet for disenchanted citizens from other existing parties, including allied ones, who will see the new kid on the block as an admirable option ahead of the coming electoral cycle.
And this adds to the burden of expectations on the young senator. There has never been any leading presidential contender so young, yet so burdened by national expectations.
Having set himself apart as the candidate for constitutionalism, many Kenyans who share his doctrine that a return to the rule of law and a reset of the nation’s software are all it takes to restore the dreams of the country’s founding fathers will put pressure on him to be different.
And to be different, his own political party must manifest this difference long before the ballot. The usual key areas of national concern in any political party include the conduct of party primaries, fairness in appointments and inclusivity in all facets.
The political scene was becoming rather predictable and boring before this Sifuna wave. Since his emergence as a leading contender, even the President has taken to throwing barbs at him from his vantage SUV sunroofs, an indication of the threat he now poses.
With a new party, the city senator has transitioned from an ODM rebel and lone voice on the opposition benches to the biggest threat to the status quo.
His party will excite the public mightily. If he consolidates that enthusiasm into an electoral force, 2027 will be something to look forward to.
