Party of National Unity (Kenya)
Encyclopedia
Party of National Unity was founded as a political coalition of parties
in Kenya
. On September 16, 2007, Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki
announced the party formation and said that he would run as its presidential candidate in the December 2007 Kenyan elections
. It has since become a political party in its own right following conditions set by the Political Parties Act, passed in Kenya in 2008.
, Narc-Kenya
, Ford-Kenya, Ford-People
, Democratic Party
, Shirikisho, National Alliance Party of Kenya
and others. President Mwai Kibaki was to be the only personal member of PNU besides the corporate membership through the affiliated parties.
PNU was created shortly before the elections that were held in December 2007. Until the beginning of September it was not clear on which party's ticket the president was going to run. In the 2002 elections, Kibaki ran as the candidate of the National Rainbow Coalition
(NARC), which had since split. The erstwhile original NARC was legally in the hands of its chairperson Charity Ngilu
who showed no inclination of siding with Kibaki for a renewed bid. Kibakis allies had already pulled out of NARC
and founded NARC-Kenya
which was not on good terms with a number of important politicians in Kibaki's government of National Unity which had seen the intake of erstwhile opposition figures since 2005 who held on to their parties like KANU
or Ford-Kenya.
PNU fared poorly in the parliamentary elections 2007 reaching only 43 seats against nearly 99 for its main rival, the Orange Democratic Movement
(ODM). Together with affiliated parties, however, it could command around 78 members of parliament.
On February 28, 2008 through a mediation team headed by former UN General Secretary Kofi Annan
, the PNU government reached a deal with the ODM to share power. ODM is headed by Raila Odinga
. The power sharing deal
was the first one of its kind in Africa.
selected as chairman and Mwai Kibaki
as party leader, much to the dismay of several of its coalition partners.
as the sole individual member, with all other parties within the coalition having corporate membership. However, in mid 2008 the party embarked on a membership drive and grassroots elections in order to create structures to function as a political party in its own right. Though an attempt to get the affiliate political parties to merge into PNU failed
The party leadership structure consists of a Party Leader, National Chairman, Secretary-General, and provincial chairpersons.
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
in Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
. On September 16, 2007, Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki
Mwai Kibaki
Mwai Kibaki is the current and third President of the republic of Kenya.Kibaki was previously Vice President of Kenya for ten years from 1978–1988 and also held cabinet ministerial positions, including a widely acclaimed stint as Minister for Finance , Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for...
announced the party formation and said that he would run as its presidential candidate in the December 2007 Kenyan elections
Kenyan general election, 2007
Kenyan general election, 2007 was held on 27 December 2007 . It comprised Presidential, parliamentary and civic elections. The previous general election in Kenya was held in 2002.-See also:*Kenyan presidential election, 2007...
. It has since become a political party in its own right following conditions set by the Political Parties Act, passed in Kenya in 2008.
Overview
The PNU started out as a coalition of several parties, including the KANUKenya African National Union
The Kenya African National Union, better known as KANU is a political party which ruled Kenya for nearly 40 years after its independence from British colonial rule in 1963, until its electoral loss at the end of 2002...
, Narc-Kenya
Narc-Kenya
The National Rainbow Coalition–Kenya is a political party in Kenya. The party was formed after the defeat of the Government sponsored Draft constitution. It was formed by National Rainbow Coalition members loyal to the government...
, Ford-Kenya, Ford-People
Forum for the Restoration of Democracy-People
The Forum for the Restoration of Democracy–People is a political party in Kenya.At the 2002 general election, the party won 14 out of 210 elected seats.At the 2002 presidential elections, the party supported Simeon Nyachae, who came third with 5.9%....
, Democratic Party
Democratic Party (Kenya)
The Democratic Party is a conservative political party in Kenya.At the last legislative elections, 27 December 2002, the party was a partner in the National Rainbow Coalition, that won 56.1% of the popular vote and 125 out of 210 elected seats. The party itself took 36 of these seats...
, Shirikisho, National Alliance Party of Kenya
National Alliance Party of Kenya
The National Alliance Party of Kenya is a political party in Kenya. The National Alliance Party of Kenya was formed on July 3, 2000 when people from varying background decided to form an alliance of democratic forces to work for the social, economic and political unity and welfare of Kenyan...
and others. President Mwai Kibaki was to be the only personal member of PNU besides the corporate membership through the affiliated parties.
PNU was created shortly before the elections that were held in December 2007. Until the beginning of September it was not clear on which party's ticket the president was going to run. In the 2002 elections, Kibaki ran as the candidate of the National Rainbow Coalition
National Rainbow Coalition
The National Rainbow Coalition was a coalition of Kenyan political parties in power from 2002 and 2005 when it fell apart in a controversy between its wings about a constitutional referendum.-Formation:...
(NARC), which had since split. The erstwhile original NARC was legally in the hands of its chairperson Charity Ngilu
Charity Ngilu
Charity Kaluki Ngilu is a Kenyan politician. She was Minister of Health from 2003 until 2007 and was appointed as Minister of Water and Irrigation in April 2008....
who showed no inclination of siding with Kibaki for a renewed bid. Kibakis allies had already pulled out of NARC
Narc
Narc or nark may refer to:* Narc , a narcotics agent or informant** Informant or nark or narc* Narc , a 2002 film* NARC , a 1988 arcade game and a 2005 video game...
and founded NARC-Kenya
Narc-Kenya
The National Rainbow Coalition–Kenya is a political party in Kenya. The party was formed after the defeat of the Government sponsored Draft constitution. It was formed by National Rainbow Coalition members loyal to the government...
which was not on good terms with a number of important politicians in Kibaki's government of National Unity which had seen the intake of erstwhile opposition figures since 2005 who held on to their parties like KANU
Kenya African National Union
The Kenya African National Union, better known as KANU is a political party which ruled Kenya for nearly 40 years after its independence from British colonial rule in 1963, until its electoral loss at the end of 2002...
or Ford-Kenya.
2007 Elections
Poor political preparation of the new party became obvious in the process of nomination for parliamentary seats. Initially, PNU member parties agreed to field parliamentary and civic candidates under PNU, except KANU, which was permitted to field its own candidates . However, this agreement failed to materialise. As a result, some candidates -mainly from Kibaki's former Democratic Party- contested under PNU ticket and others under their respective parties. In a number of constituencies PNU-affiliated candidates were contesting against each other for the same parliamentary seat .PNU fared poorly in the parliamentary elections 2007 reaching only 43 seats against nearly 99 for its main rival, the Orange Democratic Movement
Orange Democratic Movement
Orange Democratic Movement refers to a political party in Kenya, which is the successor of a former grassroots people's movement which was formed in the 2005 Kenyan constitutional referendum. The erstwhile single party which separated in August 2007 into two...
(ODM). Together with affiliated parties, however, it could command around 78 members of parliament.
On February 28, 2008 through a mediation team headed by former UN General Secretary Kofi Annan
Kofi Annan
Kofi Atta Annan is a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the UN from 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2006...
, the PNU government reached a deal with the ODM to share power. ODM is headed by Raila Odinga
Raila Odinga
Raila Amollo Odinga , also popularly known to Kenyans as Agwambo, is a Kenyan politician, currently serving as the Prime Minister of Kenya in a coalition government. He has served as a Member of Parliament for Langata since 1992, was Minister of Energy from 2001 to 2002, and was Minister of Roads,...
. The power sharing deal
Coalition government
A coalition government is a cabinet of a parliamentary government in which several political parties cooperate. The usual reason given for this arrangement is that no party on its own can achieve a majority in the parliament...
was the first one of its kind in Africa.
2008 Onwards
Since the 2007 elections, PNU has since registered as a political party in its own right with George SaitotiGeorge Saitoti
Prof. George Kinuthia Saitoti is a Kenyan politician and mathematician who was Vice President of Kenya from 1989 to 1997 and again from 1999 to 2002. He has been Minister for Internal Security since 2008 and Acting Minister for Foreign Affairs since 2010.-Biography and education:George Saitoti is...
selected as chairman and Mwai Kibaki
Mwai Kibaki
Mwai Kibaki is the current and third President of the republic of Kenya.Kibaki was previously Vice President of Kenya for ten years from 1978–1988 and also held cabinet ministerial positions, including a widely acclaimed stint as Minister for Finance , Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for...
as party leader, much to the dismay of several of its coalition partners.
Structures
When founded, in 2007, the party membership consisted of Mwai KibakiMwai Kibaki
Mwai Kibaki is the current and third President of the republic of Kenya.Kibaki was previously Vice President of Kenya for ten years from 1978–1988 and also held cabinet ministerial positions, including a widely acclaimed stint as Minister for Finance , Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for...
as the sole individual member, with all other parties within the coalition having corporate membership. However, in mid 2008 the party embarked on a membership drive and grassroots elections in order to create structures to function as a political party in its own right. Though an attempt to get the affiliate political parties to merge into PNU failed
The party leadership structure consists of a Party Leader, National Chairman, Secretary-General, and provincial chairpersons.