Mudavadi declines Raila offer to join Cord, promises to do battle

By PETER ATSIAYA and JANE CHEROTICHO

Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi has turned down Cord coalition presidential candidate Raila Odinga’s offer to join the alliance.

Mudavadi teamed up with six UDF MPs and Kanu Secretary General Nick Salat in his campaigns in Western Kenya and said he was not turning back.

He explained that he had rolled out his final journey to State House and those thinking that he would change his mind were in for a long wait.

The Sabatia MP told Raila and Uhuru Kenyatta to be prepared for a bruising political battle.

“Cord and Jubilee want me to join them. I want to tell them that I will not because I have made up my mind that I will not relent in my bid for presidency,” said Mudavadi.

Mr Salat said Kanu had agreed to support Mudavadi’s bid for presidency, adding that the party had signed a deal with UDF.

No turning back

“I have been sent by my chairman Gideon (Moi) to assure Mudavadi that we support his presidential bid and he should not turn back because he is tipped to be the next president,” said Salat.

Mudavadi was addressing his first rally in Western after parting ways with Uhuru and William Ruto in Jubilee at Nabongo grounds in Mumias town yesterday.

Present at the rally were Cabinet minister Soita Shitanda, assistant ministers George Khaniri and Manyala Keya, MPs Yusuf Chanzu, Boni Khalwale, Justus Kizito and George Nyamweya and former Trade minister Mukhisa Kituyi.

Mudavadi was given a rousing welcome by hundreds of UDF supports, who painted the sugar belt town with the party’s yellow and green colours.

Mudavadi’s supporters braved an afternoon drizzle in the town to follow proceedings at the rally.

The MPs used the meeting to castigate Uhuru for going against the deal he signed with Mudavadi.

They said Kenyans had lost trust in Uhuru after he dishonestly claimed that he was coerced into signing the deal.

“We cannot allow to be led by a president who talks to shetani (devils),” said Khaniri.

They said Uhuru had failed the integrity test by failing to honour the agreement, and does not qualify to be president.

Integrity test

“Kenyans should not assume that integrity test involves corruption only. What Uhuru has done disqualifies him from being eligible to run for presidency,” he said.

Mr Khaniri said Uhuru and Ruto wanted to ‘fix’ Mudavadi by luring him into a deal they knew they would not honour.

“I want to tell Uhuru and Ruto that their lies will soon catch up with them and they will pay dearly.”

He added that Mudavadi’s supporters wanted him to soldier on with his bid for presidency, adding that negotiations with other partners should be after the General Election.

“It is not bad to talk to our brothers in other coalitions, but not with the intentions of compromising on your presidential bid,” said the Hamisi MP.

Khalwale said Raila would not effectively fight corruption and challenged the PM to account for Sh15 million funds allocated to Kazi kwa Vijana initiative.