Kenyan parties go online

DP's website - and its rallies - have attracted thousands

By Gray Phombeah in Nairobi

Kenya's politicians are selling themselves on the internet ahead of next year's general election.

The latest to do so is President Daniel arap Moi and his Kanu party.

Any nation which cares for global survival cannot afford to ignore the information superhighway

President Moi of Kenya

He said at the launch of his party's website:

"It's no longer possible to talk of development without making reference to the role of information technology - and neither can any nation which cares for global survival afford to ignore the information superhighway."

The ruling party's move into cyberspace follows that of the country's official opposition party, the Democratic Party or DP (www.dp-kenya.org). Since it took the digital plunge it has attracted 35,000 visitors.

But online at www.kanu-kenya.org , things were not so rosy.

A few links on the Kanu party homepage returned error messages. The cockerel, ruling party's official symbol, was unusually quiet while the animation of Kanu's one-finger salute appeared rather limp.

Internet geek

There site has a riot of Kanu colours, red, black and green. And the update box highlighted news about Kanu that is weeks old.

But these did nothing to dampen the spirit of Kanu's powerful secretary-general, Joseph Kamotho, who's also the Minister for Local Government. He has been transformed from a Kanu old-timer to an Internet geek.

"Kanu has finally entered the 21st century, we are now in the digital age," says a beaming Kamotho.

Nairobi's Internet insiders say many more political web sites are now under construction by a dozen or so political parties which want to position themselves on cyberspace before the next election - if only for cosmetic purposes.

Webmaster Willy Gichora of Wanacnhi Online, the firm hired by DP to design and maintain their website, thinks this is a welcome development on Kenya's political landscape and for the IT industry.

No electricity

Yet for the majority of Kenyan voters there is no hope of getting on the internet any time soon.

They have no electricity or running water - much less a telephone line or a computer. Most of them haven't heard of the internet - let alone the new political web sites.

Under the current constitution, President Moi is required to step down next year at the end of his second term. So far he has chosen to remain ambiguous about his plans.

Many do not think that the unfettered discussions on the internet chatrooms will influence him to call it a day.

Whatever the purpose of the political websites, most of them are likely to end up abandoned or forgotten in the black hole of cyberspace soon after the elections are over.