The National Alliance for Change supporters were beginning to believe their leaders would soon be coming up with something concrete to counter the challenge posed by the incumbent Kanu in the runup to a General Election expected this year. But during a meeting of the alliance's executive committee in Nairobi on Tuesday, it emerged that the Big Three – Mr Mwai Kibaki of the DP, Mr Michael Wamalwa of Ford-Kenya, and Mrs Charity Ngilu of the National Party of Kenya – were still not agreed on key points of their joint campaign in the poll.

They are not agreed on how to go about choosing their torchbearer, the presidential candidate, and when to do so. 

On the one hand, Mrs Ngilu and Mr Wamalwa wanted that person chosen on the spot during their joint meeting. On the other, Opposition chief Kibaki said the alliance needs first to go on a countrywide meet-the-people campaign to involve the voters in the decision.

Mr Wamalwa fired the first salvo: "If we walked out of here with everyone saying it is so-and-so who is our leader, it does not matter what Kanu does, but let that leader hold the ladder for the others to climb."

Mrs Ngilu backed him: "As in football, this is injury time. If the Kanu leadership were to call an election today, Moi would dissolve Parliament, and where would we stand?"

However, Mr Kibaki felt that "what we are looking for is leadership . . . Let us now go to the people with that one message, but choosing who that person is will come later."

The alliance has formed several committees that have been working on different aspects of what they consider priorities as a government-in-waiting. For example, a technical committee headed by Gem MP Joe Donde has come up with an economic blueprint.

However, last week's incident raised the question as to whether the Big Three have been genuine in their constant pledges to the public that they are working towards a united campaign.

The alliance groups the DP, Ford-Kenya, NPK, Ford-Asili, and Mr Kenneth Matiba's unregistered Saba Saba Asili parties. The National Convention Executive Council has also signed a memorandum of understanding committing itself to the unity pact.

Kanu rebel MP Kipruto arap Kirwa attended the meeting along with some of the MPs allied to the group.

Mr Wamalwa began by expressing his disappointment over the low attendance, saying he would have expected the entire membership of the parliamentary groups and national executive committees of the mainstream Opposition parties. "But perhaps they are not as serious as some of us are," Mr Wamalwa said.

However, alliance spokesman Dr Noah Wekesa accused the Press of amplifying the different views expressed by the Big Three.

Dr Wekesa, chairman of the alliance Coordinating Committee, called a Press conference at Parliament Buildings to say that there was no problem between the three and that in fact the sentiments expressed by the leaders were on the sidelines of the agenda.

Mr Kiraitu Murungi, the Imenti South MP, backs Dr Wekesa's stand, accusing the Press of bias. The DP's shadow Attorney-General said the impression created was unfortunate, insisting that very serious work had been going on behind the scenes.

"This time round, unlike in 1992 and 1997, we are very serious and focused,'' Mr Murungi said.

"It will be much easier for us to pick a single presidential candidate because all the candidates in the Alliance have been humbled by past defeat.''

However, Ntonyiri MP Maoka Maore says Mr Wamalwa and Mrs Ngilu were, at best, playing to the gallery.

"The two wanted to appeal to the public to exert pressure (on the DP leadership) as a way of increasing their chances (as the possible presidential candidates)," says Mr Maore, of the DP.

He adds: "Those outbursts were, at worst, cynical. The two have been involved in all those caucuses, breakfast meetings and that is where they should have taken those frustrations, not to the public.''

Mr Maore dismisses the pursuit for a single presidential candidate as a "mirage, unrealistic and unnecessary . . . The morbid desire to have one candidate does not take into account its futility. Which one of them can shelve their ambitions when they have desperate, myopic, ethnic galleries to play to?''

The legislator sees a constitutional amendment stipulating the winning presidential contestant must garner at least 51 per cent majority vote as the only way to resolve the quest for a single Opposition candidate – "because this will end up in a run-off between Kanu's choice and the Opposition aspirant with the most votes from the primary poll".

Mr Murungi, who has been deeply involved in the Alliance's behind-the-scenes campaigns, says the various committees set up are discussing the modalities of picking the candidate, ''and we are at an advanced stage . . . This time, I find them (the potential presidential candidates) more realistic and practical."

The South Imenti MP says the formula for a single candidate is expected to come from the various organs of the alliance. "I have no doubt that this time round, it will be done and it is only a matter of time.'' 

On the differences of approach to the quest for a single Opposition candidate by the Big Three, Mr Murungi blames "selective reporting by the media . . . to show a discord that really never existed.''

However, the MP insists that Tuesday's meeting succeeded in achieving its goal and sticking to its agenda, which was to form the National Alliance for Change Parliamentary Group and National Executive Council.

"The problem that exists is that some members of the Press think that picking a single presidential candidate is like making instant coffee, which can be done in a matter of seconds.'' 

Mr Murungi accuses the Press of bias against the Opposition. "There is so much confusion in Kanu where the struggle for power in the succession is more pronounced. We feel that if the Press is really objective it should be asking, on behalf of Kenyans, who the Kanu presidential candidate will be, whether it will be any of the four Vice-Presidents or whether Prof George Saitoti will be resurrected, like it has been done with him before.''

"The Opposition," says Mr Murungi, "is pleading for patience from supporters and objectivity from the media. Something concrete will be coming up soon. While we may not have answers to all thorny questions, we think we are doing our best to create the structures which will provide the answers.Mr Murungi and his Kimilili counterpart Dr Mukhisa Kituyi say the alliance is establishing a communications committee that will be responsible for media and public relations. It will comprise MPs with a journalism background, including Mr Jackson Mwalulu (Taveta, DP) and Mrs Beth Mugo (Dagorreti, SDP).

Says Mr Murungi: "Hopefully, after constituting this committee, tensions between us (the alliance) and the media will be a thing of the past".

DP secretary-general Joseph Munyao also blames the media for what he describes as "misunderstanding and confusion which created the impression that all was not well within the alliance's leadership.''

Mr Munyao, a nominated MP, appeals to Kenyans to be patient with the Alliance, saying there was still time to sort out the thorny issue of a single Opposition candidate.

Says he: "We are moving systematically and we're not late. That's why we want to involve and carry all Kenyans and that has been our plan from the beginning, and it is supported by all the structures.''

Like Mr Murungi, Mr Munyao feels that the Press is "putting unnecessary pressure" on the Opposition. "It is time this spotlight was turned on Kanu where there is a bigger mess and confusion.''

Dr Kituyi (Ford-Kenya) says the Alliance is set to change a number of things in its operations to improve its communications with the public, through the media. "The alliance communications committee will be liaising with the media on the progress made".

Describing last week's expression of divergent views by the Big Three as "unfortunate'', Dr Kituyi says the media blew the matter out of proportion.