State House aspirants turn to court teachers

By Beauttah Omanga

Leading presidential aspirants Uhuru Kenyatta, William Ruto and Musalia Mudavadi have reached out to teachers for support in preparation for March elections. The trio met secondary school heads from Western and Rift Valley provinces from whom they sought support.

Mudavadi, addressing about 800 principals from Western, urged the educators to support his campaign promising to make their work easy if elected President by ensuring more teachers were employed and funds for free education were released in time.

“In each teacher I am sure of almost 10,000 votes. I am seeking your support as individuals and those who look up to you for political directions in your rural areas,” said Mudavadi.

He advised teachers to play a more leading role in advising the rural voters on the kind of leaders to elect, adding that “if you fail to play your rightful roles in the society, chances are high the electorate might end up electing leaders who will not deliver.”

However, Uhuru and Ruto found themselves on unfamiliar territories when secondary principals confronted them with hard questions in line with their bids when they addressed them in Nakuru.

Mudavadi project factor

The educators wanted answers from the two as to what new they would offer the country if elected president that they failed to achieve while serving in Government and also whether Mudavadi was their project.

The duo, who addressed the teachers on Wednesday and Thursday, were also taken aback with questions related to their commitment to remain together under their G7 grouping and what efforts were in place to ensure they did not abandon a common candidate were they to go through a joint nomination.

In defense over claims Mudavadi was the duo’s project, Uhuru described the Sabatia MP as a mature politician with leadership credentials who did not need anybody’s sweet-talking to seek the high office. According to Uhuru, Mudavadi was a victim of haters from his former political party.

First to face the hard questions was the Eldoret North MP Ruto whom teachers demanded to know how he intended to govern the country once elected president under the provisions of the Constitution which he vehemently opposed terming it ‘bad law’.

“Mr Ruto, we want you to convince us how you are going to run this country under the new Constitution bearing in mind you led the NO team that opposed it during the referendum,” demanded one principal. Another wanted the former minister and now the United Republican Party leader to explain if he was sure the establishment of many political parties ahead of the elections was enhancing democracy and good governance to Kenyans.

Ruto said he was sure the establishment of many parties was in line with the Constitution and that Kenyans were now more keen on how parties were being run unlike in the past when they were ‘big men” affairs.

“Kenyans are wiser this time round and I am sure after the elections, this country will have three to four serious parties. Those that will not cope will simply disappear,” said Ruto.

He said his URP, given a chance, will offer Kenyans real solutions to economic impediments by empowering the youth with skills through relevant trainings at tertiary institutions. He said his party would thoroughly market our tourism attractions, which have not been given adequate publicity.

On the constitution referendum and his NO stand, Ruto said he was surprised some Kenyans were still trapped in the 2010 events and were keen on using it to discredit his campaigns.

He said under the new and old constitutions freedom of expression was enshrined and said it was required that some of Kenyans opposed it to prove its popularity among Kenyans. According to Ruto, he should not be denied a chance to lead this country because of the 2010 referendum.

Past stands

“I was not opposed to the Constitution per se but a few sections in it and the debate then was on whether to support it as it was and carry out amendments later or carry the amendments first. Now we have it and it’s for all of us Kenyans. Competition in town now is totally on what one can offer to this country and not past stands,” he said.

He said by telling him that he was not competent to be trusted with the country’s leadership under the Constitution, it was also implying that all the 2.8 million Kenyans who voted NO should not participate in the elections since it will be under the new law.

When his day with the teachers came, Uhuru also found himself on the receiving end with teachers demanding to know why he wanted to be president yet he had failed to deliver in Government portfolios.

A teacher asked: “Mr Uhuru, you are here today seeking our votes to be our President. What is it that you will do differently from what you have been doing while as a minister and a deputy premier?”

“Can you assure this gathering (teachers) you will support at least one of the G7 members for president in case you lose in a nomination and that some of you will not bolt out close to the election time as it happened with some leaders prior to the 2007 General Election?” asked another teacher.

A female teacher sought an assurance from Uhuru as to whether he was ready to nominate a lady as his running mate in line with the gender balance requirement under the Constitution.

Joint candidate

Uhuru said he should not be counted as a failure while in Government but among those who delivered. He went ahead to list his achievements and assured to do more as president.

He said he should not be charged by what his late father Jomo Kenyatta failed to deliver but be treated as his own man worthy trusting with the country’s leadership.

Uhuru, who was accompanied by Nakuru Town MP Lee Kinyanjui, assured the more than 1,000 teachers he will remain in G7 and will be happy if a formula will be arrived at on how to nominate a single candidate.

“If Kenyans, through the nomination of all of us in G7, decide it’s so and so and not me, I promise to support that man or woman. It’s not what I will offer that should determine our joint candidate but what we in that team aspire to achieve for a better Kenya,” said Uhuru.

He, however, remained non-committal on whether he will settle for a woman running mate saying “in TNA, unlike other parties, delegates and party membership will decide whom they want either for presidential ticket or even as a running mate”.

After his launch a week ago, there was speculation that from the sequence and delivery of speeches, Justice Minister Eugene Wamalwa was his potential running mate. Wamalwa, however, denied the claim a few days later.