Mudavadi recounts how Uhuru and Ruto duped him in his 2013 bid

Amani Kenya Party Leader Musalia Mudavadi during an interview on KTN Point blank. [Beverlyne Musili/Standard]

Amani National Congress leader Musalia Mudavadi has recounted the dramatic events in 2012 when Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto duped him that they would support his bid for presidency in 2013.

Mr Mudavadi narrated how Uhuru and Dr Ruto drove in one car to his city’s Riverside Drive home on December 4, 2012, in the company of Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala and politician Chirau Ali Mwakwere to inform him they would back his quest for State House.

At the time, Uhuru and Ruto had been indicted by the International Criminal Court and their presidential run was facing resistance from sections that argued they were not eligible to vie for the top seat, hence the pressure for them to back an alternative candidate.

In an exclusive interview with KTN’s Point Blank, the former deputy premier opened up about the political deal that aborted just before it could be made public, saying there was no way he could have rejected such an offer at a time he was scouting for political backing to succeed then President Mwai Kibaki.

The one-page agreement is said to have been signed in dramatic moments on the night of December 4, 2012, and would have seen Mudavadi fly the team’s presidential bid.

“I had declared my intention and I was doing my preparations to launch my campaigns formally, then these two gentlemen drove into my compound and declared their support for me,” disclosed Mudavadi.

The abortive deal in the run-up to the 2013 General Election committed Uhuru, who was meant to vie for the presidency using The National Alliance, to step down in favour of Mudavadi of the United Democratic Front party.

Titled “The Agreement between Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta and Wycliffe Musalia Mudavadi”, the pact read: “The two leaders of the coalition parties hereby agree as follows: 1. That Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta shall step down as the presidential candidate of the coalition, and 2. That Wycliffe Musalia Mudavadi shall be the coalition’s presidential candidate. These details shall be announced within 14 days from the date of signing.”

The document was signed by Uhuru, Mudavadi and Ruto in the presence of lawyers Desterion Oyatsi and Dan Ameyo.

Last night, Mudavadi also refuted claims that the then President Kibaki preferred him to take over even as he rebuffed perception that he had always wanted to be handed the top job on a silver platter.

“At no time did Kibaki tell me he preferred me for the presidential candidacy. If behind the scenes he told some people he would prefer me, then that tells you that there is some quality in me,” he explained.

Mudavadi, who was running for the presidency for the first time, went ahead to reveal a secret agreement with Uhuru on December 18, 2012, in which the latter was to step down in his favour.

But Uhuru would later, the following Tuesday, disown the deal, claiming he was forced to sign the agreement with Mudavadi after being blackmailed by “dark forces”.

“He (devil) came to me and told me that if we are elected, the West will not give Kenya money; that our tea can’t be sold abroad and that Kenyans are not ready for another Kikuyu president, as this will cause more bloodshed. Given that I love peace, then I decided to quit and support Musalia,” Uhuru told delegates at the Multi Media University on December 18, 2012.

Mudavadi said the union between Uhuru and Ruto was not ideological but that which was fueled by the International Criminal Court fears. The cases were later terminated by the international court.

And on the corruption purge, Mudavadi wants Uhuru to escalate the war by firing cabinet secretaries mentioned in corruption cases.

Mudavadi said the country was unanimously behind Uhuru in the fight, thus he should seize today’s State of the Nation Address to force the top officers out of his Cabinet.

He made the remarks even as he hit out at the Deputy President and his (Ruto’s) allies for slowing down the war by playing victim card.