Leaders hail Awori's appointment

The passing away on September 23 of former Vice President Michael
Wamalwa and the subsequent appointment of septuagenarian Moody Awori to
replace him is bound to have far reaching repercussions on the ruling
National Rainbow Coalition (NARC), which has been plagued by infighting
since it won the 2002 polls.

Although Wamalwa's death robbed the loose coalition of a key figure who
was instrumental in the opposition unity that led to the ouster of the
Kenya African National Union (KANU), Awori's appointment is likely to
bring a truce to the nascent coalition, given his negotiation and
reconciliatory skills. NARC has been embroiled in endless tussles
following disagreements on power sharing among the key coalition
partners.

According to a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed before the
December 2002 transition elections, President Mwai Kibaki's National
Alliance Party of Kenya (NAK) and the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP)
fronted by Raila Odinga were to share cabinet posts equally, an
agreement which Kibaki later reneged on. Besides, while the president
and his vice were to come from NAK, a post of Executive Prime Minister
was to be created in the new constitution and given to Odinga, a key
player in NARC's victory.

Wamalwa's death hence proved to be a two-edged sword for the ruling
coalition, which has been grappling with cracks within its ranks since
Kibaki named his cabinet in January. Notably, his death forced a
temporary "ceasefire" in the infighting over power sharing arrangements
as the warring parties became united in grief.

The death also gave Kibaki a breathing space and a new strategy to
contain dissenting voices within the ruling coalition. It took him a
whole month to appoint a new deputy, taking cognizance of the power and
regional equations. Awori's appointment on September 25 was hailed by
both friend and foe, who said Kibaki had chosen a charismatic individual
and a moderator.

"President Kibaki has done us proud by appointing Hon. Moody Awori to
the VP's slot, but he should move further and treat the LDP as an equal
partner with NAK", commented Bahari MPJoe Khamis, one of Kibaki's
fiercest critics allied to LDP. Awori's appointment is unlikely to send
ripples in the political landscape, as would that of Odinga, whose style
of politics is known to be abrasive.

By appointing Awori to the number two slot, president Kibaki has killed
two birds with one stone. The appointment is likely to bring calm to
NARC as Awori is a member of LDP. Having been given the VP slot, LDP may
now relent on its demand for an executive Prime Minister. Awori is also
a fitting replacement for Wamalwa as they hail from the same province.

Though Awori does not belong to Wamalwa's Bukusu sub-tribe, the
elevation of Musikari Kombo to a full cabinet position is meant to
appease the community, who wanted one of their own to replace the late
VP. Awori, a Samia representing Funyula constituency in Western province
commands a lot of respect within the province and beyond.

However, political pundits see Awori's appointment as a stop -gap
measure. Though he is the constitutional heir-apparent, at 76 he is four
years older than president Kibaki, hence an unlikely successor. Other
observers say that president Kibaki was not keen on giving Kenyans a
successor and would like to run for a second term, contrary to his
election pledge that he would only serve for only one five-year term.
According to many observers, Kibaki has given the country a Vice
President and himself a principal assistant but not a successor.

In appointing Awori, however, Kibaki was keen not to disturb the
regional and power equation, which characterize Kenyan politics. After
Wamalwa's death, it was only prudent for Kibaki to appoint someone from
the former's Luhya tribe in order to keep the large vote block in NARC.
It may be recalled that western province gave NARC 22 out of 24 seats in
last year's election as compared to 15 seats it gave KANU in 1997.

It cannot be gainsaid, however, that in appointing Awori, Kibaki
conveniently took a cue from his predecessors. Save for Kibaki and the
late Jaramogi Oginga Odinga who was independent Kenya's first Vice
President, the country's vice presidency has always favoured those with
no overt presidential ambitions or the capacity to overshadow the
president.

Awori has never harboured presidential ambitions and during the twenty
years he was in KANU, he was comfortable as an assistant minister until
January this year when Kibaki appointed him minister for Home Affairs
and National Heritage. Now a heartbeat away from the presidency, he must
be cherishing the day he walked out of KANU together with Raila Odinga,
George Saitoti and Kalonzo Musyoka to protest Moi's imposition of Uhuru
Kenyatta as the then ruling party's presidential candidate.

Considered the wealthiest, oldest and most extensively well -connected
Vice President Kenya has ever had, Awori sits on the boards of more than
twenty blue chip companies. His father, the late cannon Jeremiah Awori -
a pioneer African clergyman - had a large family spread over Kenya,
Uganda and Tanzania. The VP's younger brother Aggrey Awori lost a
presidential bid in the 2001 elections in Uganda but remains the MP for
Samia Bugwe North in the neighbouring country.

With a wealth of experience from the corporate sector and reconciliatory
skills, the new VP, who is the second longest serving MP after President
Kibaki and also the NARC Summit (the party's supreme organ), chairman is
well cut out for the job. "I would work hard to bring unity in the
ruling coalition by advocating dialogue and not confrontation", he
promised Kenyans immediately after taking the oath of office.

Given his achievements so far in the reform in prisons and the
rehabilitation of street children, Awori - popularly known as "Uncle
Moody" is sure to serve this country diligently.