The One Kenya Alliance (OKA), has organised a three-day retreat in Naivasha, Nakuru County to stem out divisions that have emerged among the co-principals.
KANU leader Gideon Moi’s pact with President Uhuru Kenyatta is said to be part of the agenda in the convention that kicked off on Friday, August 13.
Senator Moi has been adamant that he would not pull KANU out of the coalition with Jubilee, reportedly straining the relationship with his OKA co-principals.
Musalia Mudavadi’s Amani National Congress (ANC), Kalonzo Musyoka’s Wiper and Moses Wetangula’s Ford Kenya formalised their divorce with Raila Odinga’s Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) and left the embattled National Super Alliance (NASA). The decision was solely based on allowing them to focus on OKA.
The retreat will determine how negotiations with Senator Moi should be handled as he is perceived to be a fringe member in the party, considering that Mudavadi and Musyoka are battling to become the flag bearers.
Prior to the convention, Musyoka and Mudavadi’s team differed online, both releasing posters insinuating that their leaders will be selected as flag bearers. A poster by Mudavadi’s team portrayed the ANC leader as the alliance’s choice with Musyoka deputising him.
Musyoka’s team later released their poster with Mudavadi as deputy. Insiders disclosed that the online mind games had split the OKA affiliate members.
The alliance was also expected to discuss constituent parties sharing power and settle on the flag bearer. The team is forging to formalise the union and present a united team ahead of the 2022 polls.
The OKA retreat comes in the backdrop of President Uhuru Kenyatta's meeting with the co-principals and ODM's Raila Odinga that was aimed at uniting the opposition leaders.
Uhuru met the politicians at State House, Mombasa on Tuesday, August 10, where he reportedly fronted Raila as his preferred successor in the 2022 race, much to the chagrin of the OKA principals.
They were said to have rejected Uhuru’s plea, arguing that Raila declined to honour their 2017 NASA pact leading to its collapse. They further rejected a proposal to have Raila lead the nation for one term only (2022-2027).
"There is pressure to have Musalia support (Raila). We have stuck to our guns. We are not going to prop up anybody this time round," Lugari MP Ayub Savula stated.
