Kenya: Popular fronts enter political landscape

Slightly more than a year after the National Rainbow Coalition (Narc) took power on a “popular wave”, the Front for Popular Change has been launched in Kenya. The move follows the launching early this year of “Masikini Liberation Front” and “Chama cha Wananchi”, two ambiguous formations which were launched without political programs, profiles or funfair. The emergence of new “popular” fronts and Movements in Kenya is a direct reaction to the political vacuum that currently exists in the opposition after Narc came to power, failure of the government to honour basic election promises and mass disillusionment with the Kibaki administration due to internal wrangling, power struggles and personality clashes.