By Juma Kwayera
The G7 Alliance heads into the weekend smarting from reports its leaders are nervous about this week’s political development involving Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta.
Uhuru’s The National Alliance, Grand National Union (GNU), Alliance Party of Kenya and Party of National Unity on Wednesday committed to a pre-election agreement. He secured endorsement for his presidential bid under the deal signed by ministers Kiraitu Murungi (APK), Amos Kimunya (PNU) and assistant minister Mwangi Kiunjuri (GNU), which appears to have unsettled the G7 Alliance.
Signs of the tension emerged the following day when Eldoret North MP William Ruto failed to show up for a meeting Uhuru convened involving G7 Alliance presidential aspirants.
There are reports Ruto met Deputy PM Musalia Mudavadi later that day. But we could not independently verify the claims.
An ally of Mudavadi said of the meeting: “In politics there are no permanent enemies and friends, only permanent interests. Mudavadi and Ruto met after concluding that Uhuru is ‘cunning’.”
On Thursday, a guarded Ruto had declined to comment on his failure to attend the meeting with Uhuru, instead telling journalists his United Republican Party had a crucial meeting.
He, however, stressed he was still in the informal G7 Alliance. Mudavadi’s aide, however, was more blunt, saying the Deputy PM would not have attended a meeting whose purpose was to endorse a competitor.
Yesterday, some allies of Ruto spoke out harshly of Uhuru’s latest maneuvers, underlining all is not well. Chepalungu MP Isaac Ruto, while neither denying nor confirming that Mudavadi and Ruto met to discuss Uhuru’s latest move, charged URP would not be treated like a junior partner.
Equal partnership
The MP claimed his party had resolved to battle for the presidency on its own after TNA violated an earlier understanding of equal partnership.
“The people Uhuru met are his lackeys. We shall consider an alliance in the event of a second round. We cannot form an alliance with a party that is still struggling to get members,” Ruto said.
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