By Jared Okello
Deputy Prime minister and Sabatia Member of Parliament Musalia Mudavadi rose to stardom when he abandoned his party that propelled him to the august House, ODM. He stole lots of newspaper headlines for almost a month just before and after his exit, parading one excuse after another on modus operandi of his sponsoring party.
During that period, rumour was rife that he was part of State House grand scheme to perpetuate impunity by giving the retiring President a hand in the next government; and raw pursuit of selfish and narrow ethnic and party interests. This prompted State House to send a statement of denial of such involvement. It may have been false, but perceptions are made of a set of coincidences evident then and realities on the ground.
Mudavadi consequently resolved to refuse to be put off by peoples’ prejudice about his ambition to run for president.
One wonders the short span of that burning fire. Was it lack of introspection from the part of Mudavadi? His case is a kin to Icarus paradox that applies, “victories and strengths so often seduce people into excesses that cause their downfall. Success leads to specialisation and exaggeration, to confidence and complacency, to dogma and ritual”.
Mudavadi seems to lack the free hand and latitude to run his political machine. Even in the glaring face of impending by-elections in Ndhiwa, Kajiado and Kangema constituencies, his party UDF, did not see the need to sponsor candidates there, or even offer reasons to his supporters as to why not. Could someone be suffocating his party of much-needed resources to run his campaigns? Could there be hidden wars in the management of UDF.
With the original gusto and thrust one expected that his party would be a household name by now and that the Presidency will be his to lose. On the converse Uhuru’s newly launched party, The National Alliance, TNA, seems to have stolen thunder from him, with candidates for by-elections in all the three constituencies, to the chagrin of Mudavadi’s UDF. Could Uhuru Kenyatta be the likely candidate to give Raila Odinga a run for his money, at the expense of Mudavadi?
The writer is a commentator on political and social matters.
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