One Kenya Alliance (OKA) principals have converged at Great Rift Valley Lodge in Naivasha to craft its 2022 General Election roadmap.
Amani National Congress (ANC) leader Musalia Mudavadi, Wiper Movement leader Kalonzo Musyoka, Kanu chairman Gideon Moi and Ford-Kenya leader Moses Wetangula are expected to review a workable strategy and pick a flag bearer to face off with rivals at the ballot.
Speaking after arriving in Naivasha for the retreat, Kalonzo said the meeting is expected to align their agenda towards nation-building.
“This is a critical engagement of OKA and to get versed with what our technical team has been preparing. We are guided by the great country we wish for our children,” he said.
He said that they were meeting with their MPs and Senators so deliberate a report by a technical committee, a coalition pact as well as possible allies ahead to next year’s polls.
“We shall be issuing a statement on the way forward on Tuesday after meeting the technical committee,” he said.
Gideon said they will make public their agenda and called upon their supporters to remain united.
“We have a lot of issues to discuss and we are confident of a breakthrough, after which we shall update our on the direction we shall take as a party and as a coalition,” he said.
Wetang’ula said the meeting will go a long way in building confidence between affiliate parties and their members, while working on modalities of working with other parties.
“This is not a closed shop. We are looking at our national profile. We have a long queue of suitors whom we are engaging with at different levels to strengthen OKA as we capture the imagination of Kenyans,” he said.
However, he said ODM leader Raila Odinga will not be part of the meeting, though they had extended the invitation to parties and individual leaders to join them.
“Raila is not part of OKA at least for now. We have invited others and the list of people who have shown interest to join us is impressive. We are hunting for support and we are being hunted too,” said Wetang’ula.
Mudavadi said OKA is working to pick a flag bearer to face off with rivals at the ballot.
Further, he disclosed that he, alongside his colleagues, will deliberate identified strengths and weaknesses of OKA during the workshop.
Also to be discussed is alliance’s proposed manifesto, coalition colours and symbols.
The retreat comes a few days after President Uhuru Kenyatta met the OKA principals and Raila in Mombasa.
The OKA is caught up in the dilemma of the mode of selecting the coalition’s flag-bearer since the President told them to back Raila.
Kenyatta had declared that he will pick his 2022 successor from among the disbanded Nasa principals if they unite and agree on a single candidate.
However, Raila and OKA principals have all expressed interest in succeeding the President.
Kenyatta is challenging the Nasa principals to unite so as to form a united line-up that would face off against Deputy President William Ruto in the 2022 presidential election.
