African Perspectives STUDIES & ARTICLES Partisan Coalitions… and Elections in Kenya Ahmad Amal Demonstrator – Institute of African Re- search and Studies Cairo University The Kenyan partisan system is one of the least stable systems in Africa. Since Kenya’s independence in 1963, the Kenyan parties suffer from continuous defections and divisions regardless to the nature of the existing partisan system, be it a one-party or a multi- party system. This continuous change in the structure of the parti- san system had forced the Kenyan parties to adopt another strat- egy so as to compensate their losses from the successive divisions. Such a strategy is represented in forming, before each election, expanded partisan coalitions so as to ensure further expansion, thus raising their opportunities of winning further votes. Due to the fact that the Kenyan elections that took place on March 4, 2013 is the third in a row that witness the phenomenon of partisan coali- tions, it is inevitable to study those coalitions through tackling the main features of their development, then monitoring the effect of such features on the results of the elections that showed the victory of the Jubilee Alliance (JA) by the majority of seats in the two chambers of the Parliament –National Council and the Senate, not to mention the victory of the Coalition candidate Uhuru Kenyatta in the presidential elections. First: Evolution of the Partisan Coalitions in Kenya The phenomenon of partisan coalitions in Kenya has gone through four phases. The first phase started by the beginning of the 20th century and con- tinued by the continuance of the one-party system. The second phase started in the 1990s within the demand of restoring the multi-party system. How- ever, such a phenomenon witnessed a set back during its third phase that ex- tended to a whole decade when the existing coalitions had been dismantled before beginning the fourth phase with 2002 elections that witnessed a grow- ing independence from the political parties on forming coalitions before each election. 12 SIS African Perspectives Second: Partisan Coalitions in 2013 chairmanship of Charity Ngilu Elections and the Republican Congress 2013 elections represent a continua- (RC) under the chairmanship of tion of the traditions of the Kenyan Najib Balala, had joined the Alli- parties in the last phase as regards ance. the intention of the political parties • Before elections, leaders of the to unite in coalitions before entering TNA had shown their will to get elections. Such elections also repre- out of their commitments of di- sent an evolution for this phenome- viding constituencies as shown in non as regards the number of coali- the signed with the URP, believ- tions that reached four and includ- ing that such a pact has given ing all the main parties on the politi- their partner a quota that exceeds cal arena who don’t prefer to enter his ability and weight in the po- elections severally thus ensuring the litical competition. The TNA only effectiveness that the partisan coali- got half the number of seats in a tions gained by time. A detailed re- time when the Alliance can no- view of the emergence of the two ticeably exceed this percentage. main coalitions and the nature of • The first step of withdrawing each of them as regards the internal from such an agreement came on composition and the inter-relations January7 when Onyango Oloo, that link such parties together is as the TNA Secretary General, de- follows. clared that there is no need for Jubilee Alliance (JA) such a proposed complicated sys- • This alliance was firstly formed tem for choosing the candidates of three parties; the National Alli- of the JA in the legislative elec- ance Party (TNA) under the tions, preferring to revert to the chairmanship of Uhuru Ken- joint electoral complex that had yatta, the United Democratic Fo- been adopted during the presi- rum (UDF) under the chairman- dential elections. ship of Musalia Mudavadi and • According to Oloo, the TNA en- the United Republican Party joys a clear preference in Mount (URP) under the chairmanship of Kenya region, while the URP en- Willian Ruto. However, before joys a preference in the Rift Val- elections the UDF withdrew from ley. Thus, in case of entering joint the Alliance and two other par- elections, it is expected that each ties; National Alliance of Rain- coalition wins in the constituen- bow Coalition (NARC) under the cies where he enjoys huge popu- Volume 11 - Issue 38 – 2013 13 African Perspectives larity. Concerning the other con- on December 4, 2012, the CORD stituencies, it should be left for was greatly different from the JA. open competition among the rep- These differences are represented resentatives of the other two par- in the number of parties forming ties so that the best candidate such a coalition. While the parties would be chosen regardless to his forming the JA do not exceed partisan affiliation. four, number of parties joining • Due to the critical importance the CORD reach 14, before de- behind the competition of the creasing to nine. TNA and the URP members in • On the level of the relationships internal elections that might lead among parties, various differ- to destroying the JA, leaders of ences appeared among the mem- such an alliance preferred to can- bers of CORD. In this respect, the cel the coordination of the nomi- Orange Democratic Movement nation for legislative elections (OD) was the leading party in the and make such a coordination coalition, while the other smaller only restricted on presidential parties supported the leader of elections. This should be done the movement Raila Odinga who through giving an opportunity did not face any real challenge in for the members of all parties receiving the nomination of the joining the alliance to participate Coalition for the post of the Presi- in the legislative elections without dent of the Republic. a prior coordination so that the • Among Odinga allies, some members of the Alliance would names such as Kalonzo Musyoka compete against each other in and Moses Wetangula have been various constituencies, condi- distinguished. Musyoka is one of tional on the fact that coordina- the founders of the ODM in 2007 tion will resume after announcing and the first defect upon estab- the results of the elections lishing ODM-Kenya. He entered through representing the JA with the presidential and legislative one parliamentary authority un- elections independently, before der the chairmanship of Charity being appointed as a vice presi- Ngilu. dent for Mwai Kibaki within a Coalition for Reforms and Democ- framework of power sharing racy (CORD) agreement signed by Kenyan par- • Despite signing the pact on the ties in February, 2008. establishment of both coalitions • During preparations for the new 14 SIS African Perspectives elections, Musyoka took a sudden continued inside the coalition. decision by returning to the coali- Such a context is characterized by tion with Raila Odinga, to accept the absence of multi-party system; being nominated as a vice presi- the matter which means absence dent. As for Moses Wetangula, he of competition, thus making such presides over FORD-Kenya and a coalition a ruling party for occupies the post of the Minister around 30 years. of Commerce in the coalition gov- • According to the other experiences ernment under the chairmanship of forming alliances since restor- of Odinga, 2008. ing the multi-party system, they • Choosing a candidate for repre- were all characterized by instabil- senting the coalition in the presi- ity and continuous divisions. It is dential elections was easy enough noteworthy to highlight the fact if compared to the great differ- that no coalition had ever entered ences witnessed in the competing two successive election cycles in JA that led to the defection of the light of the withdrawal of each three founding parties to the Alli- coalition from running elections, ance. On December 22, Musyoka regardless to his results and the withdrew from the competition in consequences of such results from favor of Odinga; an expected step either reaching power or occupy- since signing the founding pact on ing the seats of the opposition. December 4, 2012. 2- Ethnic Coalitions Third: Characteristics of Partisan Since their emergence, political par- Coalitions in Kenya ties in Kenya rely on ethnic founda- 1. Instable Coalitions tions, so that each party expresses the thoughts of a certain ethnic • Since their establishment, the group. In light of this situation, par- Kenyan partisan coalitions are tisan coalitions appeared as a means characterized by instability. The for various parties to get out of this only exception in this respect is narrow scope of the ethnic groups the coalition between Kenya Afri- and find a bigger chance to win sup- can National Union KANU and port in areas where other parties Kenya African Democratic Union dominate. This should take place KADU upon independence. This through the commitment of the par- is regarded the longest experience ties in coalition to exchange support. in the history of the Kenyan de- In this respect, partisan coalitions mocratic practice, thanks to the appeared in Kenya in the form of political context that emerged and Volume 11 - Issue 38 – 2013 15 African Perspectives collecting the ethnic foundations of PNU. In the three cases, Kibaki parties to form a certain coalition. was the head of the coalition and 3- Non-Programmatic Personal Coa- the main caller for its establish- litions ment, not to mention being its presidential candidate. • Since the emergence of the first partisan coalition in Kenya, the 4- Flexible Coalitions personality of its founders has • In assertion of the instability of been revealed, as such personal the Kenyan partisan coalitions on factors play a major role in gath- the one hand and of being more ering or splitting between leaders loyal to persons than ideologies of various parties.