National Rainbow Coalition

The National Rainbow Coalition–Kenya (NARC-Kenya)

Founded – 2006

Key Figures: Martha Karua, William Kariuki, Hussein Sasura,Ukur, Yattani Kanacho

NARC-Kenya was formed after the defeat of the Government sponsored Draft constitution. It was formed by National Rainbow Coalition members loyal to the government. The party, though months old, captured 3 parliamentary seats (Nakuru Town, Saku and North Horr) and 2 Civic seats in the by-elections of 24 July 2006 that are seen as a litmus test for the up coming general elections for which the new party was planned to play a major role in securing re-election for president Kibaki.

The party won three out of the five parliamentary posts up for grabs. Its candidates William Kariuki, Hussein Sasura and Ukur Yattani Kanacho won the Constituencies of Nakuru Town, Saku and North Horr.

Incumbent president Mwai Kibaki was expected to receive the party's nomination for another 5-year term. The party, however, never took off. Important figures round Kibaki were hesitant to join. Thus few months before the 2007 election a new coalition by the name of Party of National Unity was formed of which NARC-Kenya became a part.

The party decided, however, to field a number of candidates under its own flag, thus contributing to the overall poor results for PNU in the parliamentary elections where parties affiliated to PNU competed against each other. At the Kenyan general election, 2007, Narc-Kenya managed to enter three candidates into parliament.

In late 2008 PNU opted to register as a political party in its own right, to the opposition of several coalition parties including NARC-Kenya. Narc-Kenya opted to continue registering members in its own right electing Martha Karua as party leader in November 2008.