The Communist Party Kenya and United Front
Even while building CPK and as part and parcel of building CPK, our party should with
immediate effect, play a proactive role in the issue of organizing a United Front. It should be at
the vanguard of creating such a coalition or alliance or a United Front. CPK is a vanguard and
mass party, and therefore creating or participating in a United Front is one of the methods of
mass recruitment and mobilization, mobilizing the masses, and popular forces of Kenya for
political power.
Subject to the content or the aim and objectives of the perceived United Front, it may take
various forms or names based on the initial spirit of the United Front or Coalition. Whatever
form, or name it may choose to be called, the aim is to bring together and unite all Kenyans;
Kenyans who, genuinely and honestly, wish to make a positive contribution to the politics of
Kenya to move away from the contemporary politics dominated by JUBILEE, ODM, ANC,
FORD Kenya, WIPER, which are political parties popularized by the press every day.
What should the content of the perceived United Front be?
What is our understanding as a political party of the United Front in this regard? The United
Front must be as a minimum about creating and agreeing upon an alternative and progressive
political coalition or United Front aimed at organizing the Kenyan people to struggle for a
government that will implement an alternative and progressive social, political, economic and
cultural system based on the national values and principles of governance described by Article
10 of the Constitution of Kenya.
The national values and principles of governance include patriotism, national unity, sharing and
devolution of power, the rule of law, democracy and participation of the people; human dignity,
equity, social justice, inclusiveness, equality, human rights, non-discrimination and protection of
the marginalized; good governance, integrity, transparency and accountability; and sustainable
development.
Justification of United Front: fighting against the present status quo
How should the United Front differ from the present status quo? To begin with, the present status
quo is the JUBILEE ruling coalition and the already dead opposition called ODM and what they
stand for ideologically, including and not limited to killing the present Constitution of Kenya
through the dirty politics of handshake and the so-called Building Bridges Initiative (BBI).
Together the two coalitions form the status quo as they are just one coin with two sides. History
continues to reveal that the two political parties have no will to implement the national values
and principles of governance embodied in the popular Constitution of Kenya.
Kenyans fought for multiparty democracy but not the democracy of a few political parties. There
are now about sixty registered political parties in the country. This is good for the country in the
current historical context because it is a manifestation of the hunger of Kenyans to actively
participate in building the culture of democracy in the country.
But, unfortunately, JUBILEE, ODM and other few political parties such as WIPER who control
the Executive, are united in their selfish conspiracy to kill other political parties in Kenya and
remain the only political parties so that together they can dominate and manipulate the politics of
the country to fit their common ideology of capitalism/neoliberalism. They have started this
process by conspiring to grab and share only among themselves the millions of shillings meant to
fund political parties to nurture multipartism in the country. In this, they also count on the
support of imperialist governments and pro-capitalist NGOs operating in the country to purport
to support and teach Kenyans about democracy and human rights, particularly multiparty
democracy.
The two political coalitions that dominate the country's parliament all worship bourgeoisie
democracy as it is practiced in the USA and United Kingdom (but again only when it is
convenient for them to do so). They see it as the Alfa and Omega of democracy. In the United
States that pretends to be the most democratic country in the world, political parties are
suppressed, and the citizens are forced to choose to be governed by either the Republican or
Democratic parties, both of which are capitalist and imperialist in ideology and practice.
Similarly, in the UK, all political parties are suppressed, and the citizens have to choose from the
Labour, Conservative or Liberal Democrats parties - all of which represent capitalism and
imperialism. The aim of this is to use the political parties to conserve the democracy of the ruling
capitalist classes and to use it to dilute class struggles by creating illusions of political changes
through regular elections that ensure the capitalist and imperialist system remains intact. This is
the democracy that JUBILEE, ODM, and partners are importing for Kenya. It is not the
democracy the Kenyan masses wish and aspire for as the spirit of the constitution of Kenya
manifestly reveals.
The JUBILEE and ODM, or to be precise Uhuru and Raila, used to present themselves as
antagonistic, one in charge of the government and one in the opposition. Yet their antagonism
has always been only in form and not in content. In practice, it is a political gimmick meant to
hoodwink voters and supporters who propel them to power through corruption, tribalism, and the
media propaganda they control. The truth is that the two political parties and their affiliates are
both committed to imposing the democracy of capitalism, neo-colonialism, corruption, tribalism,
cronyism, greed, primitive accumulation, dictatorship, and exploitation of person by person in
the country. Yet, just as Kenyans are made to believe that there is no alternative to bourgeoisie
democracy, they are also made to think that Kenyan politics will always be determined by either
JUBILEE or ODM and the capitalist ideology they stand for.
CPK is sure that the democracy of JUBILEE and ODM is not what the majority of Kenyans
struggled for or desire for the present and future of our country. To struggle for genuine
democracy - participatory democracy - social and national liberation - today also means to
struggle against the status quo represented by the two political parties, their political affiliations,
and what they represent. Thus, the relevance of working towards forming an alternative way:
United Front of the Left.
The nature of the proposed United Front
The United Front we conceive should be about organizing to fight for political power through
participating in national elections to provide to the Kenyan people alternative social, political,
and economic policies away from the present status quo. It should be a United Front of registered
political parties and social movements. Individuals participating in the Front must belong to
political parties or social movements/organizations that will be members of the United Front.
The question that follows is, what brings together the political parties and social
movements/organizations to form the United Front? In general, it is the desire or commitment of
the political parties and movements/organizations to agree to form a coalition or alliance to fight
the status quo and offer alternative progressive politics and ideology for the liberation and
development of the country. Details about the criteria for qualification of the political parties and
social movements/organization for joining the conceived United Front, modalities, and rules of
engagement should also be discussed comprehensively by the parties and
movements/organizations involved.
In any case, specifically, those who will be members of the United Front will agree on a common
program that brings them together to form the coalition and that they will use for campaigning in
national elections and that they will implement immediately when they form the government.
This should be conceived as the minimum program of the United Front.
CPK's proposal of the minimum program for the United Front - for discussion by would-
be members
CPK will propose to the would-be members of the proposed United Front the following points of
the minimum program of the United Front for discussion and adoption:
1. Creating conditions for the development of providing social security for all Kenyans
by building a three-tire democratic and complementary economic systems composed
of the state, cooperative and private sectors.
2. Struggling against the illegitimate debt burden imposed upon the country through
unequal power, trade, and other relations by foreign powers.
3. Working to defend and consolidate the progressive political reforms and democratic
gains won by the struggle of the people, and that is embodied in the Constitution of
Kenya. In this regard, we will collaborate with other progressive Kenyans, parties,
and movements to struggle for the realization of the basic tenets of the constitution
on the sovereignty of the people, human rights, national values and principles of
governance, separation of powers, checks and balances and devolution of
governments with popular participation of the people at all levels of government.
4. Providing and guaranteeing, progressively, basic needs and services to the individual
and the family such as security to a person, shelter, food, water, health, education,
and employment that are also entrenched in the Constitution of Kenya.
5. Reinstating the freedom and sovereignty of our country, people, and resources rather
than surrendering our nation to imperialism.
6. Fostering partnership with the Kenyan people in the ownership and provision of
services by the commanding heights of the economy, such as money/banks/financial
institutions, transport and communications and infrastructure, major natural water
towers and waterworks, power generation.
7. Engaging in the most suitable technologies available in the provision of services and
implementation of development and maintenance of projects. We need not invent the
wheel; we need only adopt it and make it work for our purposes.
8. Mobilizing and facilitating Kenyans to conserve, protect, develop, and utilize our
natural resources and environment sustainably for the present and future generations
of Kenyans. We will make and implement policies that will ensure investment in
natural resources brings direct and indirect benefits to the local communities as
envisioned by the Constitution of Kenya.
9. Providing public-funded universal and compulsory primary and secondary education
as a first stage. It will also provide high quality, affordable and subsidized college
and university education, with the ultimate objective of making education free at all
levels. At the same time, we will mobilize Kenyans to formulate an education and
cultural policy that aims at eradicating illiteracy, poverty and underdevelopment
while producing conscious, creative, and independent social beings capable of
realizing their talents, knowledge, and skills in the service of the nation, society, and
humanity.
10. Implementing policies of fighting tribalism and of building national cohesion. We
will mobilize Kenyans to celebrate their rich cultural and linguistic diversity in the
interest of national unity. We will develop the national and official languages of
Kenya as well as those of the various Kenyan nationalities.
11. Implementing policies of combatting and eradicating corruption and misuse of
public resources.
12. Adopting a class and gender approach to development in all spheres of life.
13. Implementing vigorously chapter eleven of the Constitution of Kenya to reduce the
gap between urban and rural areas, to lead to equality between the various regions
and Counties of Kenya.
14. Carrying out progressive land and agrarian reforms based mainly on the principle of
land to the and for the tillers.
15. Carrying out a progressive defence policy to ensure human and national security.
16. Implementing a foreign policy based on peace, solidarity, and friendship with all
nations and peoples of the world while adhering to the principle of the right of all
nations to self - determination. This will be our commitment to the realization of the
East African Federation as fast as possible together with progressive Pan - Africanism
and African Union.
Central Committee
Communist Party of Kenya (CPK)