By OSCAR OBONYO
The political paths of the two Deputy Prime Ministers are set to merge, even as they make separate plans to get to State House.
Strategists working for Mr Uhuru Kenyatta and Mr Musalia Mudavadi want them to approach the General Election as a team, like they did a decade ago. But, unlike in 2002, when Mudavadi was Uhuruâs running mate on a Kanu ticket, this time the two will run against each other, with a likelihood of converging at the ballot and, hopefully, in the next government.
Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi at Muliro Grounds, last weekend. Mudavadi is expected to lead the way with the choice of a new political party. [PHOTO: BENJAMIN SAKWA/STANDARD]
Those involved in the plan say an Uhuru- Mudavadi merger is the goal at the end of a long, winding and discreet path. The G-7 groupâs scheme will rely on a network of political leaders from various regions in different parties. The âfriendlyâ parties will merge into new units that will eventually focus on the two.
Uhuru, 50, and Mudavadi, 51, are expected to come together months before the presidential race.
The Standard On Sunday has reliably established there are high-level talks on the matter. The talks focus on how to ensure the Uhuru- Mudavadi ticket evolves "naturally", with the position each takes making itself evident during the campaigns. This time around, Mudavadi is opposed to playing second fiddle and wants a fair shot at the top of the ticket.
One of the architects of the plan, who asked not to be named, claimed he, and others, were making progress on the Uhuru- Mudavadi ticket.
"We are building a team of like-minded politicians who will jointly face Prime Minister Raila Odingaâs ODM machine," he confided. " Mudavadi is very much in the mix."
Housing Minister Soita Shitanda, a key Mudavadi backer, says such a union must take "an obvious dimension" in which Uhuru supports Mudavadi for president.
The New Ford-Kenya leader says he cannot confirm or deny whether Uhuru and Mudavadi are working on a political power deal.
"Even if they have been engaged in a series of meetings, that is not strange," Shitanda says. "They could be consulting on issues other than political marriage."
