This archive report was first published on 16 August 2021.
Leaders of the One Kenya Alliance (OKA) are set to meet in Naivasha to discuss the coalition's flag bearer ahead of the 2022 general election.
On August 16, 2021, the four principals of the coalition - Musalia Mudavadi, Kalonzo Musyoka, Gideon Moi, and Moses Wetang'ula - will convene in Naivasha for a two-day retreat.
The meeting comes as affiliate parties of OKA are divided over who should lead the coalition. Kanu Secretary General Nick Salat has said that OKA cannot ignore ODM leader Raila Odinga in its game plan, accusing a section of the principals of taking a hard stance on who should be the flag bearer.
“Everybody is insisting on their preferred candidate but that is not the way to run things. It is important for people to sit down and talk. It is about what formula will hand us a win not the question of who has what numbers. That is the discussion that I hope to have tomorrow,” said Mr Salat.
However, Makueni MP Daniel Manzo - an ally of Kalonzo - said that criteria of picking a candidate should factor in the number of elected leaders a party has in the current Parliament. His suggestion directly roots for a Kalonzo presidency since Wiper has more elected leaders compared to the three partner parties.
“Picking a candidate should not be a complicated affair. You all know who has more votes, who has more elected leaders among the four principals. That is the formula of picking a candidate,” said Mr Maanzo.
Yesterday, Mudavadi said that an eight-member technical committee will present a progress report on OKA when they convene in Naivasha for two days. He revealed that the retreat was a joint Parliamentary Group meeting by the four affiliate parties for briefing on the roadmap to 2022 General Election.
“This is a PG of the parties that started the process of coming up with the new coalition. Obviously you have to bring your Members of Parliament to such a meeting,” said Mudavadi.
