Editor's Review

  • The alliance made up of Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, ANC's Musalia Mudavadi, Ford Kenya's Moses Wetangula and KANU's Gideon Moi made the announcement on Tuesday, after a two-day retreat at the Great Rift Valley Lodge.

The One Kenya Alliance (OKA) has announced that it will field its own presidential candidate in next year's general election.

The alliance made up of Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, ANC's Musalia Mudavadi, Ford Kenya's Moses Wetangula and KANU's Gideon Moi made the announcement on Tuesday, after a two-day retreat at the Great Rift Valley Lodge.

"As the “Great Rift Valley Declaration”, we hereby unequivocally state that One Kenya Alliance will field a presidential candidate in next year’s general elections," they said in a joint statement.

OKA met to deliberate on the reports submitted by a Technical Team made up of representatives from member parties.

They also agreed to hold joint public engagement activities across the country.

One Kenya Alliance also spoke the expected Court of Appeal ruling on the Building Bridges Initiative, stating that they will accept whatever verdict that will be given by the judges.

"We are also aware that the Court of Appeal is set to rule on the Constitution Amendment Bill (2020), this Friday, August 20, 2021. As an alliance that believes in the rule of law, we shall accept and respect the verdict of the courts. Irrespective of the outcome, we wish to restate that our resolve to be the leadership committed to seeing a one united Kenya," they said.

[One Kenya Alliance leaders at the Great Rift Valley Lodge, Naivasha.]

OKA said that its main mission is to resuscitate Kenya's economy which requires practical solutions, not just slogans.

"We require practical solutions to the economic challenges our people are grappling with. Empty narratives and sloganeering on economic models are not the antidote to our challenges," read the statement.

The alliance said its leaders firmly believe in zero tolerance to corruption as they urged President Uhuru Kenyatta to unleash the full wrath of the law on national leaders involved in corrupt activities.

The leaders said they understand how the political temperatures usually is in Kenya, and called on the people to avoid leaders who might fuel violence during the election period.

"We urge Kenyans to shun such leaders and jealously guard our country against brinkmanship and constant threats of senseless violence."

OKA, however, did not reveal who their preferred candidate from among the four of them, is.