By Abdullahi Derrow

History is a guide to prepare us well for the present and the future. A peep at history would give us a glimpse of what awaits UDM.

In 2017 when elders failed to secure Jubilee ticket they rushed to buy a small party called EFP. The little known party was sold to the residents as a panacea for all the problems bedevelling Mandera.

The benefits of having a homegrown party was emphasised and overnight acacia that was the symbol of the party was nearly idolised.

Although EFP’s electrol success in Mandera County in the last election was no mean feat it has nothing to show for its affiliation with Jubilee.

EFP supported Jubilee for presidential election but Jubilee did not reward the party with any position after forming the Government. From the marriage of EPF and Jubilee we got to understand that small parties get completely swallowed by bigger parties, abused, humiliated, unrecognized, demeaned and destroyed.

They are seen as lesser partners and they never considered for anything else apart from supporting the party positions and passing of bills of benefit to the other partner.

EFP was interested in CS position, they were not given, they fielded a candidate for EALA position and lost to Jubilee, they field house committee leadership and they lost again.

EFP had no pre nor post election pact with Jubilee then, they signed the papers to support Jubilee blindly and I fear our nascent home party UDM is heading the same direction EFP and the same fate that befell EFP awaits it, there is huge political cost and monstrous ramification if UDM is the party that is courting jubilee instead of Jubilee doing the seduction. Be strategic in your approach to politics. Never go and beg for partnership. Don’t you have votes? Don’t you have the support of your people? Negotiate for the interest of your people and work on growing your party instead of strengthening other people’s party with your party.

My dear UDM wait for the advances, let those interested in you, talk to you and ask for your hand in marriage, stop knocking on Jubilee’s doors in dreaded fear of the outgoing shell party’s perceived power over the deep state. Deep state cannot steal from well organized and properly cordinated team protecting their votes.

UDM must clearly study the small parties dotting the Kenyan political landscape and how they were thrown into irrelevance after blindly signing an MOU and partnership deeds with bigger parties.

The Writer is a blogger and human rights activist based in Mandera County.