Mudavadi's fear over independent candidates

The Kenya Kwanza Coalition has raised suspicion over the large number of independent candidates saying it could be a plan by the Azimio la Umoja Coalition to rig the August elections.

Speaking at Nyamaiya in Nyamira County yesterday, ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi said the long list of independent candidates was deliberate from the Government favoured Coalition and it should be treated as unusual and suspicious. Mudavadi was with Deputy President William Ruto and Bungoma Senator Moses Wetang’ula alongside the Kenya Kwanza Coalition aspirants from Nyamira.

The team attended an economic dialogue forum on interventions needed for economic recovery of the country.

“What we are reading from the scenarios is that they want to spoil Deputy President William Ruto’s votes.

Some of the Independent contenders are projects of dividing the presidential votes for Ruto. This is because it has never been thought that there could be so many candidates vying for the top seat as independents in our electoral history,” Mudavadi said.

He added: “It may look like madness that we have so many candidates in the ballot, but there is something in it. It could be a plot to steal Ruto’s votes.”

Ruto bragged that he would outshine his competitors through his campaign model of bottom up and that his opponents will never catch up with him.

“I am sure my competitors have lost trace of our campaigns footprints. The discourse we are having about reconstructing our economy is something they have no grip on and they should forget about catching up with us,” Ruto said.

The DP said the economic empowerment model will favour many Kenyans, especially farmers whom he said are oppressed by poverty. He termed revival of cash crops like tea, coffee and maize as his main agenda. He said the recently effected tea reforms were yet to benefit many low-income farmers.