Need for parties that can stand the test of time

Democratic Party officials

Democratic Party Secretary-General Jacob Haji, National Chairman Esau Kioni and Leader Joseph Munyao address journalists at United Kenya Club in Nairobi on January 8, 2019.

Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group

Political parties exist to acquire power and form governments. They bring together people with shared political ideals and aspirations. Their chief goal is to contest in the electoral process and win maximum seats in Parliament and the county assemblies so as to implement their manifestoes through policy and legislation.

Since the end of one-party rule in 1991, Kenya has been governed under the multiparty system. This has seen the emergence of many political parties and a vibrant competitive representative democracy. There are about 85 registered political parties.

Political parties also act as vehicles for representative democracy. Article 38 of the Constitution protects the right to political choice. That includes choosing the party they wish to belong to; participating in the activities of a political party; and being a candidate for a public or even party office.

But despite the expansion of the democratic space and entrenchment of political freedoms, most parties are personalised and serve the interests of the elite few. Yet, without strong, independent and stable parties, the citizens’ right under Article 38 is undermined, weakening our democracy.

We need strong parties whose position on major issues is known and that offer real solutions to social and economic needs of the people. They must be vibrant and inclusive to offer citizens real choices for political participation and must win the trust of the electorate by articulating the real problems the people face and not just the elites’ interests.

This is where party ideology comes in. A party’s manifesto is based on its ideology and provides a roadmap on how it will implement its ideas when in power. A party must demonstrate its ability to consistently retain a loyal base of active supporters.

Become sustainable

Parties are built over time through the collective efforts of many. That is the only way they can become sustainable. Instead of forming parties every electioneering year, Kenyans should stick to one party and build it for posterity. They can then be assured of mature, visionary and progressive leadership. For instance, one of the country’s oldest parties, the Democratic Party of Kenya (DP), was founded in 1991 by the late Mwai Kibaki, who would be Kenya’s third President, and other eminent leaders.

In 2004, I was in a delegation to the then-146-year-old Conservative Party of Norway to study party democracy. A memorable moment was when our hosts expressed amazement at how DP, while barely 10 years old, won an election and formed government (in 2002). In their country, some parties were over 200 years old but yet to achieve such a feat!

The economic blueprint that DP developed in the 1990s formed the basis for steering the country into prosperity under President Kibaki in 2002-2013. That is why Kenyans need to build stable parties that have a tangible vision for the country and have demonstrated through action that they are capable of transforming the country.

Dr Haji is the secretary-general, Democratic Party of Kenya. [email protected].