What new OKA coalition pact means for Azimio and Kenya Kwanza

OKA principals; Martha Karua, Kalonzo Musyoka, Gideon Moi and Cyrus Jirongo sign a deal in Nairobi on March 11.

The One Kenya Alliance (OKA) has formally been declared a coalition after affiliate parties signed a pre-election pact on Friday, March 11. Kenya will hold general elections on August 9.

The parties in OKA are KANU, Wiper, Narc-Kenya, United Democratic Party, Farmers’ Party and The Movement for Democracy and Growth Party.

The OKA principals - Gideon Moi (Kanu), Kalonzo Musyoka (Wiper), Martha Karua (Narc Kenya) and Cyrus Jirongo of UDP - signed the pact in the capital, Nairobi, a day before Azimio la Umoja's  National Delegates Conference scheduled on Saturday, March 12.

The team had earlier postponed the signing of the pact in February, putting into limbo the sealing of a grand deal with Azimio.

The signing of the pre-election coalition now paves way for the outfit to field one presidential candidate in the August 9 General Election. That means OKA cannot join other coalitions such as Azimio la Umoja or Kenya Kwanza. The individual parties in OKA can, however, enter pre-election negotiation with other coalitions.

If, for instance, Wiper Party strikes a deal with Azimio la Umoja or Kenya Kwanza, it would have to formally resign from OKA before it can be allowed to join the other coalition of choice.

However, the law states that after March 26, no party will be allowed to resign from, or switch coalitions.

The coalition agreements, which are binding to the affiliate parties, are usually deposited at the Office of Registrar of Political Parties. Karua said OKA was “a coalition of the willing”.

“We will continue operating in openness, and will not tolerate opaqueness at all,” she said after signing the coalition deal alongside her co-principals, at the Villa Rosa Kempinski Hotel in Nairobi.

 Moi said OKA, as it campaigns for the presidential seat, will prioritize anti-graft messaging and the need for good governance.

“OKA Coalition will ride on the principle of zero tolerance to corruption, and we will adhere to good governance and the rule of law. My personal gratitude goes to the principals. We know where this journey will be culminating,” Moi said.

Kalonzo said OKA will seek to bring on board other like-minded political parties, and that negotiations with other coalitions haven’t been ruled out.

“In however much we are set to go it alone, it doesn’t mean we are not ready to have dialogue with others. I assure you that we are growing bigger by the day. Very soon, maybe next week, we will have people like [President Mwai Kibaki’s son] Jimmy Kibaki joining us,” he said.