Kanu's link in Mudavadi ouster

Insiders in Ruto’s party were afraid that DPM’s party would present a challenge to their candidates in the Rift

By VITALIS KIMUTAI

KENYA: Eldoret North MP William Ruto grew cold towards Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi’s presence in the Jubilee Alliance because of Kanu.

Insiders in his camp feared Mudavadi’s pact with Kanu would complicate plans by Ruto’s United Republican Party (URP) to field candidates in the Rift Valley.

Most affected is Information minister Samuel Poghisio who is likely to face a strong challenge from PS John Lonyangapuo who is eyeing the Kanu nomination to run for the West Pokot Governor’s seat.

With Mudavadi out of the Jubilee Alliance that includes Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta’s The National Alliance (TNA), an intriguing battle for votes in the Rift Valley is shaping up.

Kanu’s backing for Mudavadi’s United Democratic Forum (UDF) has created another front besides the main threat by the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) to take on William Ruto’s URP candidates.

Prime minister Raila Odinga’s ODM will also be fielding candidates under the stewardship of Tinderet MP and Industrialisation minister Henry Kosgey.

Sources told The Standard that among the issues that led to Mudavadi being “dropped” by the Jubilee coalition was Ruto’s demand that UDF disengages with Kanu because the former ruling party was not part of the agreement TNA-URP and UDF signed.

But it is the URP and Kanu battle that appears to be drawing keen interest from political players in the region and across the country.

URP leaders openly voiced their opposition to the inclusion of Kanu in the Jubilee Coalition, saying the Independence party wants to reap where it has not sown.

Mudavadi left the Jubilee Alliance after Uhuru marshalled his troops to reject an agreement he had earlier signed giving away the presidential ticket to Mudavadi.

While Uhuru blamed “dark forces” as having forced him to sign the deal with Mudavadi, it turns out Ruto and MPs from Rift Valley were not keen on facing stiff nomination contests with their Kanu counterparts in the expansive province.

“Mudavadi was carrying excess baggage both in the name of Kanu and the fact that he has the tag of being a project of powerful people in Government which he is yet to shed,” said Dujis MP and URP spokesman Aden Duale.

Despite opposition

The MP said Mudavadi was to blame for the standoff in the coalition because he rejected a nomination process by delegates to pick the Jubilee presidential nominee.

Ruto has said Mudavadi is free to rejoin Jubilee and that the only problem was that he had refused to join in the contest for the flag bearer.

“Mudavadi insisted on being given the presidential ticket despite opposition by the delegates. He had nothing to fear as may be, he could have become the flag bearer in an open contest,” Ruto said.

But Mr Kimani Ngunjiri, a former Kanu official and a Ruto supporter who is now the national chairman of the Saba Saba Mzalendo party, insists that the Jubilee Coalition has high chances of delivering the Presidency in the next General Election.

Ngunjiri, who also hails from Rift Valley, said the UDF-Kanu team would not make much impact because the Jubilee Alliance will sweep the board.

Mr Nick Salat, the Kanu Secretary General, said Kanu cannot be underrated in Rift Valley and other parts of the country where, he said, they have formidable candidates lined up to contest various elective posts at the County level.

“Mogotio MP Prof Hellen Sambili, Kiambaa MP Stanley Githunguri, former Cabinet minister John Koech, former MP Moses Cheboi, former PS Prof Lonyangapuo are some of the candidates seeking elective posts on a Kanu ticket in the next election,” Salat said.

Former Cabinet Minister John Koech (Kanu) will also engage in another battle with Chepalungu MP Isaac Ruto (URP) in the gubernatorial race in Bomet County.

“It is clear to all that Information Minister Samuel Poghisio (URP) stands little chance against Lonyangapuo for the West Pokot County Senator’s post,” Salat said.

Mr Gideon Moi, the Kanu national chairman, and Salat are gunning for Senate positions in Baringo and Bomet Counties respectively.

“URP did not want Kanu in the Jubilee coalition as it feared that it would overrun it in Rift Valley owing to its old networks and renewed support among the people after Ruto failed to go for the Presidency,” said Salat.

He said Kanu has an existing and binding pre-election coalition agreement with UDF, which must be respected.

sidelining Mudavadi

“Before UDF entered into a coalition with TNA and URP, it had procured a legal pre-election pact with Kanu. The agreement bound us to support Mudavadi for the Presidency, as we were not fielding our own candidate,” said the former Bomet MP.

Shinyalu MP Justus Kizito said UDF has support in various parts of Rift Valley and would give URP a run for its money.

Dr Bonny Khalwale, the Ikolomani MP, said Uhuru and Ruto erred in sidelining Mudavadi as it depicted them as selfish leaders who had no time for others.

“Mudavadi would have been the  saviour for the TNA/URP coalition otherwise they cannot survive an onslaught by Raila’s Cord in the race to State House,” Khalwale said.

Khalwale claimed that in the fullness of time, Uhuru and his people would dump Ruto if the Jubilee Coalition, as it stands now, forms the next Government. He said UDF will not cut links with Kanu as it has legally binding.

“Members of the Luhya community have always worked with those from the Kalenjin community right from the Kadu and Kanu days,” Khalwale said.

He said Ruto’s URP had adamantly refused to work with UDF due to its existing agreement with Kanu against expectations that the pre-election agreement was a strong instrument that would bind the Western and Rift Valley voters with those from other regions in the country into a formidable voting bloc.

Assistant minister George Khaniri said it was unfortunate that URP leaders and their TNA counterparts undermined the agreement they signed with UDF.

“Kanu and UDF will work round the clock in ensuring that they deliver majority of MPs and Senators from Rift Valley in the General Election,” Khaniri said.

Vihiga MP Yusuf Chanzu said Jubilee cannot be trusted.

Housing minister Soita Shitanda said Ruto had the means to ensure that there was unity in the alliance, but did not do so for his own reasons.

Mr Abraham Limo, the UDF Director and National Election Board (NEB) chairman, said “trashing of the agreement” by TNA and UDF “was the highest level of betrayal, but we have realised it was because the UDF–Kanu pact was emerging as a real threat to some MPs, especially those in the URP wing of the Jubilee Alliance.”