Mudavadi, Uhuru get week to pick leader

By VITALIS KIMUTAI and ROSELYNE OBALA

The Jubilee Alliance on Tuesday secured an extra week to inform the Registrar of Political Parties the name of its presidential candidate following the lapse of initial 14-day period counting from December 4.

This means Deputy Prime Ministers Uhuru Kenyatta and Musalia Mudavadi have more time to compromise on whether one of them will be picked flag-bearer by way of consensus or delegate system.

It was disagreement between the two over the two systems that threw the alliance into confusion and delayed naming of a flag-bearer this week.

But even as the period for negotiations widened, Mudavadi’s closest allies maintained that whatever the outcome, their candidate would run in the March 4 election. Mudavadi’s national campaign coordinator Dr Mukhisa Kituyi revealed the party was exploring all avenues to address the impasse. “We have the exit window and time is not on our side, we only have seven days to go,” he said.

Even though MPs close to Mudavadi insisted he would be in the race to the end, the chairman of his United Democratic Forum, Mr Osman Hassan, reiterated that despite the wrangles, UDF was bound by the contentious agreement.

“We are held by the statutory requirement according to the Political Parties Act and walking away will have legal implications,” he said.

“Which ever way negotiations go, it will have legal implications. What Uhuru or Mudavadi say today or tomorrow will not lead to a split,” he assured supporters.

The coalition sought extension of submission deadline by seven days from the Registrar of Political Parties, Ms Lucy Ndung’u. Multiple sources in Uhuru’s The National Alliance, Mudavadi’s UDF and Eldoret North MP William Ruto’s United Republican Party, told The Standard the alliance was granted the time sought.

Shinyalu MP Justus Kizito, who is allied to Mudavadi, confirmed the move and explained the extension would allow the parties to ‘soberly’ approach the matter and arrive at a final and binding decision.

Alternatively, he added, it would also afford them the chance for what he called “to agree to disagree”. “It is the position of the Registrar that there is a provision for an exit for coalition partners and those are some of the issues we are also looking at,” Kizito said.

Mudavadi’s spokesman Kibisu Kabatesi also confirmed the talks were still going on at different levels in the coalition. “Consultations are still going on and we are confident the partners will agree on the way forward,” Kabatesi went on.

But key Mudavadi allies vowed that whether the standoff was sorted out or not, the Sabatia MP would contest the Presidency on March 4.

They revealed that though the DPM was optimistic the issue would be amicably dealt with, he was exploring other ‘available avenues’ ahead elections.

met resistance

The Uhuru-Mudavadi standoff was aggravated by Tuesday’s surprise revelation by both leaders that they signed a deal where Uhuru offered to forfeit the ticket to Mudavadi.

However, the rift in the alliance widened as Uhuru insisted he would not honour the deal because it had been rejected by his party and would prefer the candidate is picked at a National Delegates Conference in Kasarani.

Two separate NDCs, one set for last Monday and another for Tuesday, were cancelled as the two rowed over which way to go, even as signs emerged Mudavadi may jump ship and go it alone.

Wednesday Ruto, who signed the Uhuru-Mudavadi deal now clouded by controversy, told a local television station that the document bore a clause allowing Uhuru time to go and sell the resolve to hand the ticket to Mudavadi. He added it was within this phase that Uhuru met resistant from his party and decided to change his mind.

Ruto expressed optimism the impasse would be resolved but insisted the best way to pick a flag bearer would be to allow delegates to make the final decision, which is exactly what Mudavadi is against.

Mudavadi argues this system of nomination would cause a fall out and adds the parties have not had grassroots elections to pick delegates and wonders how those who will be voting were picked.

“Mudavadi is a seasoned politician and we cannot dictate to him on what to do next,” said Ruto who has settled for Jubilee running mate under the agreement first signed with Uhuru.

Ruto then asked: “If he (Mudavadi) walks out, what will he do? Where will he go?”

Assistant minister George Khaniri argued Mudavadi has many options available to him, which UDF would decide on if the stalemate persisted.

“Uhuru should honour the agreement which was made in good faith. It was an agreement of gentlemen out to heal the country,” Khaniri said. He revealed UDF would ensure whichever way Mudavadi would a run on March 4.

Vihiga MP Yusuf Chanzu asked Uhuru and Ruto to state their motive in convincing Mudavadi to join their coalition. “Mudavadi did not go to them, they looked for him. Uhuru and Ruto had the liberty to ignore him but they had an agenda,” claimed Chanzu, who is a close ally of Mudavadi.

“They are now behaving suspiciously, it seems they were only out to ensure Prime Minister Raila Odinga and Mudavadi did not end up together,” he added.

Former Ntonyiri MP Maoka Maore said Mudavadi should go back to Raila’s Coalition for Reforms and Democracy. “It is only in Cord that Mudavadi will find relevance and accommodation as he risks going into political oblivion after being duped,” Maore argued.

“Without support from voters in the Central region, Mudavadi would not even get the required backing from his Western backyard.

The position of Majority Leader, which he is being offered, requires he becomes an MP, a position he might not clinch if he loses the presidential ticket,” contended, Prof Larry Gumbe, former chairman of the Centre for Multiparty Democracy

“If Mudavadi does not get the presidential ticket in Jubilee, the best for him would be to resign from politics and explore other interests,” Gumbe went on.

Prof Macharia Munene, an analyst, explained that in his view, Mudavadi was roped into Jubilee alliance as an afterthought and as a public relations gimmick after Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka switched over to Raila’s side.