The National Development Party (NDP) was a political party in

Kenya ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...

which was of national importance between 1994 and 2001. It was founded by Stephen Wilfred Omondi Oludhe.

Becoming Odinga's party

Being a minor political party, until 1994, NDP gained national prominence when

Raila Odinga Raila Amolo Odinga (born 7 January 1945) is a Kenyan politician, former Member of Parliament (MP) for Langata and businessman who served as the Prime Minister of Kenya from 2008 to 2013. He is assumed to be the Leader of Opposition in Kenya sin ...

joined it after he left Ford-Kenya following his loss in the battle for leadership of that party to

Michael Wamalwa Michael Christopher Kijana Wamalwa (25 November 1944 – 23 August 2003) was a renowned Kenyan politician who at the time of his death was serving as the eighth Vice-President of Kenya. Early life Michael Christopher Kijana Wamalwa was born in S ...

. Odinga pulled

Ford Ford commonly refers to: * Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford * Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river Ford may also refer to: Ford Motor Company * Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company * Ford F ...

members of parliament from

Nyanza Province Nyanza Province (; sw, Mkoa wa Nyanza) was one of Kenya's Provinces of Kenya, eight administrative provinces before the formation of the Counties of Kenya, 47 counties under the Constitution of Kenya, 2010 constitution. Six counties were organis ...

with him. This spike in membership, which included Ford-K's Nyanza MPs, put NDP in the position of a major opposition party in the Kenyan parliament. The party managed to retain its strong position in Nyanza region mainly among the

Luo Luo may refer to: Luo peoples and languages *Luo peoples, an ethno-linguistic group of eastern and central Africa **Luo people of Kenya and Tanzania or Joluo, an ethnic group in western Kenya, eastern Uganda, and northern Tanzania. *** Luoland, th ...

population during the 1997 elections when it returned 21 members to parliament.

Co-operation and coalition with KANU

In 2000 NDP started to cooperate with the KANU-government of president

Daniel arap Moi Daniel Toroitich arap Moi ( ; 2 September 1924 – 4 February 2020) was a Kenyan politician who served as the second president of Kenya from 1978 to 2002. He was the country's longest-serving president. Moi previously served as the third vice ...

. From June 2001 three MPs of NDP joined the cabinet, thus inaugurating the first coalition cabinet in Kenya's history.

2002 merger and split

In spring 2002 NDP merged with KANU. NDP leader Odinga became the Secretary-General of the united Party.http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/1878321.stm Merger shakes up Kenyan politics - ''BBC 18-03-2002 viewed on 5-01-2008'' This union was to be short-lived, as from summer 2002 it became obvious that arap Moi was determined to have

Uhuru Kenyatta Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta (born 26 October 1961) is a Kenyan politician who served as the fourth president of Kenya from 2013 to 2022. Kenyatta was chosen by Daniel Arap Moi as his preferred successor, but Kenyatta was defeated by opposition le ...

as his successor, which was confirmed by a KANU congress in October 2002. Odinga, who had been aware of manipulated lists of delegates, pulled out from the congress together with his followers from the former NDP and was joined by a number of KANU politicians who protested against Moi's manipulation of the party meeting in favour of his chosen candidate. Together, the group, which called itself the Rainbow Coalition, quit the ruling party and then joined the then-minor Liberal Democratic Party, which was to be one of the founding members of the

National Rainbow Coalition The National Rainbow Coalition (NARC) is a political party in Kenya. As an alliance, it was in power from 2002 and 2005 when it collapsed due to disagreements between members over a constitutional referendum. Formation In preparation of the 2002 ...

which went on to win the 2002 presidential and parliamentary elections.

References

{{Authority control Defunct political parties in Kenya Political parties established in 1991 1991 establishments in Kenya