The One Kenya Alliance could soon unveil its 2022 presidential flagbearer after it emerged the principals plan to launch the coalition in mid-October.
The Star has established that the four principals have tasked the technical team crafting the coalition documents, to complete the exercise a month ahead of the grand inauguration.
According to insiders, the transformation of OKA into an alliance, official launch of the outfit and unveiling of the flagbearer have been delayed by incomplete coalition documents.
“We had given them a timeline of 90 days from the first time they met. That means by mid-October, we shall be launching the coalition,” Makueni Senator Mutula Kilonzo Jnr, who is a member of the technical team said.
The launch will set the political stage for gruesome campaigns ahead of the general election.
The coalition will bring together seasoned politicians who, for a decade now, have been in opposition.
Picking the presidential line-up has been seen as the outfit's litmus test, as all four principals have declared they will run for the top seat in 2022.
The technical team is drafting a coalition agreement and power-sharing documents, theme colours, logo and manifesto. The formation was first announced on March 25.
Team has also been working on a formula of identifying a presidential candidate from among the four principals.
The team was expected to present the documents to the principals – Musalia Mudavadi (ANC), Kalonzo Musyoka (Wiper), Moses Wetang'ula (Ford Kenya), Gideon Moi (Kanu) and officials early this month in Naivasha.
“A lot of us thought that that retreat was for the purpose of approving those instruments because that was what members urged for.
"But they were not ready and even now the documents are not ready,” Mutula, who is the Wiper national vice chairperson, added.
“Once the documents are approved by the plenary, they will be taken to respective party organs to authorise then the party leaders to sign,” the Senate Minority chief whip said.
Primary research done by the team suggest that Mudavadi and Kalonzo are the front-runners to fly the coalition’s flag.
Mudavadi's spokesman Kibisu Kabatesi downplayed the probability of the outfit naming its flagbearer during its official launch.
“We will just be launching Oka as an officially registered coalition. It is after the launch that we will start the process of picking our flagbearer. We have until March next year to do that,” he stated.
Kabatesi added the outfit is still in its formative stage and it would be unwise to name the flagbearer during the launch.
“I know there has been pressure to know the flagbearer but it is the tradition not to name a coalition's candidate till the very last days. People should not unnecessarily pressure Oka to name its flagbearer,” he said.
ANC deputy party leader Ayub Savula also said Kenyans should not expect the flagbearer to be named during the launch.
“We will just be launching Oka and its structures and then embark on the process of drawing the line up,” he said.
ANC, Ford Kenya and Wiper were part of the now defunct National Super Alliance, which was formed in January 2017 ahead of the disputed election held in August that year.
However, Raila Odinga's Orange Democratic Movement, which is the largest opposition party in the country is not part of the Oka formation, though it was an affiliate of Nasa.
The four Oka principals have reportedly defied efforts by President Uhuru Kenyatta to drop their bids in favour of Raila to face Deputy President William Ruto.
The President has held two meetings with the two leaders and Raila in a bid to persuade them to join forces with the former Prime Minister.
However, during their Naivasha meeting, the team maintained the coalition will field a presidential, dealing a blow to the efforts to reunite them with Raila.
“As the “Great Rift Valley declaration”, we hereby unequivocally state that One Kenya Alliance will field a presidential candidate in next year’s general election,” OKA's statement read.
Coalitions of political parties have delivered victory during past elections as was demonstrated in 2002 when the National Rainbow Coalition floored independence party Kanu.
The ruling Jubilee Party was also formed months before the August 2017 elections.
More than 10 political parties folded to form the Jubilee Party, which Uhuru used for his reelection.
(Edited by Bilha Makokha)