Uhuru, Ruto and Wamalwa to forge alliance

By ALLAN KISIA AND ROSELYNE OBALADeputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta, MPs William Ruto and Eugene Wamalwa have announced a political alliance in readiness for the General Election.
The trio vowed to bring together the three regions they represent in the quest for the top seat.
They, however, maintained they needed the support of other regions as no single community can push its own to the presidency.

Former Ford-Kenya Chairman Musikari Kombo symbolically hands over leadership to Saboti MP Eugene Wamalwa as Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta and Eldoret North MP William Ruto look on during a rally at Bungoma Posta ground, on Saturday. [PICTURE: BENJAMIN SAKWA/STANDARD]

Addressing a rally at Bungoma’s historical Posta Grounds, the three MPs promised to remain united and be truthful in their quest for the top seat, and assured that they would not betray each other.
Ford-Kenya
And in Nairobi, Wamalwa’s erstwhile party Ford-Kenya conducted its party elections a year after court battles and leadership wrangles hampered the exercise.
In the elections factions associated with the immediate former chairman Musikari Kombo and Wamalwa kept off, giving former Foreign Affairs Minister Moses Wetangula’s team easy sail.
"This elections is the rebirth of Ford-Kenya. The party has seen more turbulent times and it has reinvented itself.
"This is a clear indication the party is destined for national leadership," Wetangula said.
He challenged those fighting the party from within to resign from their parliamentary seats, instead of issuing threats and challenge party candidates in by- elections to prove their mettle.
"Majority of the leaders maligning Ford-Kenya ceased being members of the party. I am challenging those opposed to the party leadership to resign. We will see if they would win seats on other party ticket," he said.
Meaningful changeIn Bungoma, the Uhuru group reiterated it was time for the youth to take over leadership because "the old guard had failed to bring meaningful change".
The rally was expected to be a platform to announce the Saboti MP’s new party, after he defected from Ford- Kenya. Instead, Wamalwa promised his supporters he would make known his new party soon, one that would be acceptable to his two partners.
Wamalwa received three invitations from Labour Party of Kenya, New Ford-Kenya, and Peoples Democratic Party.
Uhuru said they would seek support from other regions while weighing which party ticket to use in the General Election, due next year.
"We must work together and get to the ship, which will take us to our destination," added Uhuru.
He regretted that his earlier partnership with Ruto was termed tribal. "They said it was KKK alliance. We are in Bungoma today, still preaching unity," he said.
Uhuru called on Western Province to back one leader. Ruto said Western has people who are qualified to run for president.
"If Western will not get the presidency, it would be because of God’s plans or the will of the Kenyan people and not a decision of a few individuals," Ruto said.
The Eldoret North MP told Wamalwa to join a party that would be acceptable and one whose ideology would not bar him from working with other leaders.
He said change would never come "miraculously, by default, guess work, or accident".
"Poverty, hunger, diseases, corruption, unemployment, impunity, illiteracy, and tribalism will not go away just like that," he added.
Serious interestWamalwa said Saturday’s rally was the beginning of a journey similar to the one that was started by National Rainbow Coalition leaders on September 15, 2002, in Bungoma.
"We have come for your blessing. The journey that was started in 2002 here ended up at State House," added the Saboti MP.
He maintained that their alliance would bring peace. He expressed confidence they would form the next government.
Housing Minister Soita Shitanda, Assistant Ministers Ferdinand Waititu, Kambi Kazungu, Wilfred Ombui, and Kareke Mbiuki, MPs Joshua Kuttuny, Elijah Lagat, Joseph Gitari, and Musikari Kombo were present.
Shitanda promised to support Wamalwa for president. He praised Wamalwa for being the only leader from Western Province who has shown serious interest in the presidency.
"Others announce they would be going for the presidency at funerals," he added.
Uhuru noted that Kenya could only have good governance, which will spur development, through trusted and visionary leaders.