Musalia Mudavadi praises own speech

Addressing the Amani National Congress (ANC) National Delegates Conference (NDC) at Bomas Of Kenya, Nairobi, last year, Mudavadi said: "It is true, let us not lie to one another. For so long, Kenyans have lived on a political diet of lies, deceit and betrayal... There has been no passion in the hearts, nor sincerity in the mind, when promises - and especially electoral promises... This assembly is gathered here at the beginning of bringing an end to the culture of leadership paying lip service to the long-suffering people of this country in the spirit of our mantra, Ni Kweli, Tusindanganyane."

The Prime Cabinet Secretary noted that he was qualifying a statement he made on December 26, 2021, that he would go to the elections, extremely unpredictable just like the earth's tremor is unpredictable.

"I was in a sense cautioning those who had always taken me for granted that I would, in the August 9, 2022 elections, cause them some political stomach upsets and pain. My speech was carefully considered," he said.

Mudavadi told the NDC: "I was never taught to lie and will not begin lying to Kenyans in my ripe age. Like Abraham Lincoln, I solemnly believe... the truth is your truest friend, no matter what the circumstances are. So, I am not boarding that train of lies. Let me, instead, tell Kenyans the truth."

President William Ruto (right) with Prime CS Musalia Mudavadi during UDA's National Delegates Conference (NDC) at Kasarani, Nairobi, on March 15, 2022. [Elvis Ogina, Standard]

"Upon my arrival, some of the OKA leadership scurried away in fear. The first disruption of the tremor - scatter them - had occurred at that second, my symbolic endorsement of Ruto wasn't expected. It was received with disbelief, denial and then confusion," he said.

"The formation of the Kenya Kwanza Alliance was cleverly calculated to ambush. They didn't see it coming that soon; it was unheralded. And worse, the unveiling of an "all-Kenya" campaign programme of issues economic, devoid of the usual ethnic razzmatazz, blind-sided them and they never recovered," said Mudavadi.

The real earthquake, the Prime Cabinet Secretary said is that he worked with Ruto, they won and have formed government.

"More fundamentally, the earthquake was a learning process; we have reshaped the politics of Kenya forever. Ethnicity and money may in future count for nothing unless you have an agenda to sell. Demography will also play a crucial role in electoral politics given the youth bulge and their sensitivity to issues that concern them - unemployment, investment and technology," said Mudavadi.