KANU NATIONAL CONFERENCE: KENYATTA HOLDS HIS GROUND

C O N F I D E N T I A L NAIROBI 002446

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/11/2027
TAGS: PREL KDEM PGOV KE
SUBJECT: KANU NATIONAL CONFERENCE: KENYATTA HOLDS HIS GROUND

REF: 06 NAIROBI 5099

Classified By: Political Counselor Larry Andre for reasons
1.4 (b,d).


1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Amid ongoing debate about the party's
position within the opposition coalition and an internal
power struggle, KANU held its National Delegates' Conference
in Nairobi on June 11. According to KANU officials, the
meeting was a success as the party made clear its position
with respect to the coalition and upcoming general elections.
It was also a strong showing for KANU's Chairman, Uhuru
Kenyatta, who demonstrated he is firmly at the party's helm.
END SUMMARY.

KANU: Still Orange...For Now
--------------


2. (SBU) Kenya's first political party, KANU, held its
National Delegates Conference on June 11 in Nairobi at a time
when the party is facing both external and internal
challenges: within the opposition coalition Orange Democratic
Movement-Kenya (ODM-K) for "respect" of its corporate status,
and within KANU itself to retain leadership of the party.
The conference was widely speculated to be the forum at which
KANU Chairman Uhuru Kenyatta would announce his intention to
withdraw the party from ODM-K. He did not. He did however,
make clear that KANU remains an independent and intact party,
the real goal of the conference, according to one KANU
official.


3. (C) Opposition Chief Whip and KANU MP Justin Muturi told
poloff on June 12 that the conference was a success, having
resolved that the party will not "merge" with ODM-K. "Our
partners in ODM-K need to understand KANU is not dissolving,"
Muturi explained. The other significant development, he
added, was the decision that KANU will run contestants for
parliamentary seats as KANU, not ODM-K, candidates.
According to Muturi, Kenyatta's vision for the party is that
it will cooperate with ODM-K in a pre-election arrangement in
which KANU agrees to support a single candidate for
president. After that individual wins State House, the
partners share out key government positions. Kenyatta will
reiterate this position at the next ODM-K National Executive
Council meeting on June 16, Muturi noted.


4. (SBU) Media reports had speculated that KANU would
resolve during the conference to support just one party
candidate for president, choosing between Kenyatta and KANU
Secretary General William Ruto. This was not addressed

SIPDIS
during the meeting, however. Ruto and all of the other
declared ODM-K candidates, except for Kenyatta, have
officially entered their names in the coalition party's
nomination race. The latest deadline for submitting
nomination documents is Friday, June 15.

Sharp Words for ODM-K
--------------


5. (C) During his remarks at the conference, Kenyatta
doubted that the ODM-K presidential nomination process would
be free and fair. Muturi confirmed KANU suspicion of ODM-K
leaders, in particular presidential hopeful Raila Odinga,
commenting that Odinga demands that ODM-K members leave their
old parties behind. "If he does not like KANU's approach, we
will call it quits," he stated. Muturi explained that KANU
members are "uncomfortable" with Odinga's leadership style in
which he controls his party's MPs. Asked what the initial
reaction from other ODM-K partners has been to Kenyatta's
statement on June 11, Muturi remarked that they (Odinga and
his supporters) feel "stung."


6. (SBU) While Kenyatta spoke to over 4,000 delegates in
Nairobi, his rival for the party's leadership, MP Nicholas
Biwott questioned the legitimacy of the meeting. Speaking to
the media, Biwott chastised Kenyatta for convening a national
meeting while KANU's organizational fate is pending in court.
(NOTE: This refers to the attempt in late 2006 by Biwott and
his supporters to hijack KANU on the grounds that Kenyatta
did not have the authority to bring KANU into a coalition
(reftel). The move was widely believed to have been
orchestrated by former President Moi, who vehemently opposes
coalition with ODM-K. An interim court decision allowed
Kenyatta to remain chairman pending an overall ruling, which
is not likely to be made anytime soon. END NOTE.)

Comment: Fighting on Two Fronts, but Holding His Own
-------------- --------------


7. (C) Some observers see Kenyatta's pledge to keep KANU
intact while it "cooperates" with ODM-K as a survival tactic.
It allows him a party with which to run for president should
he not get the ODM-K nomination. With speculation that he
cannot even win his own parliamentary seat, Kenyatta has to
do what he must to save his political life. His constituency
is solidly Kikuyu - a population that generally does not view
Raila Odinga's ODM-K kindly. Nonetheless, he gave a strong
showing at the KANU conference, demonstrating that he is
fully in control of his party, and that it will not be
dictated to by Odinga. Elements of his June 11 speech which
conjured KANU's glorious freedom struggle past may have
helped Kenyatta reinspire support among his constituents.
END COMMENT.



RANNEBERGER