Mudavadi hails his 'earthquake' decision and speech, a year later

When President William Ruto attended Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi's Presidential launch at Bomas of Kenya, Nairobi. January 23, 2022. [Elvis Ogina, Standard]

Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has hailed his famous "earthquake" speech and decision to join Kenya Kwanza brigade a year ago.

Mudavadi said he was on a mission to disrupt the order of things in Kenya's hegemonic electoral politics.

"On Sunday, January 23, 2022, I made the famous speech titled, 'Tusindangayane', and I referred to it as an earthquake. I have since been vindicated and we changed Kenya's politics forever," said Mudavadi yesterday.

He said the "earthquake" spoke to a personal decision to approach and engage in the August 9, 2022 elections in a different and unique way.

"This was fuelled by a burning desire to turn tables on a hegemonic cabal that had turned Kenya's governance into an imperial inheritance. Many Kenyans don't know this, but the presidency is a carefully choreographed inheritance process guided by economic oligarchs," he said.

Addressing the Amani National Congress (ANC) National Delegates Conference (NDC) at Bomas of Kenya in 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 - are made. 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.'"

Mudavadi said 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 the circumstances. So, I am not boarding that train of lies. Let me, instead, tell Kenyans the truth."

He said the "earthquake" was an announcement to Kenyans that he had foreseen a different platform upon which the elections would be played as voters were tired and needed relief from an overbearing State where deceit was the guiding philosophy.

"Earthquake was a clarion call to pivotal courage, and disruption of the bondage by the masterminds of political deception and deceit. Remember at this time we were herded in the political outfits like cattle in the Athi River slaughter house - not moving anywhere except to the gallows," he said.

Mudavadi reiterated that his erstwhile political friends had underestimated his ability to see through the illusory maze they had created - an illusion of a mega coalition but actually composed of parties owned by the State.

"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, he said, is that he worked with Ruto, they won and have formed government.