The G7 Alliance has begun fundraising in preparation for 2012 polls in which Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka, Deputy PM Uhuru Kenyatta, Eldoret North MP William Ruto and Saboti MP Eugene Wamalwa have agreed to run for the presidency separately. Strategists in the group have targeted to raise about Sh10 billion locally and internationally in readiness for the polls expected in August next year.
The Star has established that two presidents from African Countries have already agreed to back up the G7 Alliance kitty because they are opposed to the rise of Prime Minister Raila Odinga to be the President.
The two presidents were remotely involved in the disputed December 27, 2007 elections which caused the 2007-08 violence. “The two presidents who are ready to back us believe that Raila’s links with President Barack Obama may make him the regional king should he ascend to power in Kenya,” an MP in the G7 Alliance revealed.
The money will be shared out among the presidential candidates in the group so that they are able to run effective campaigns within their regions.
The MP said the G7 Alliance which also includes Tourism Minister Najib Balala had explored all issues concerning the 2012 polls and decided that the best way for them is to approach the polls separately hoping to force a runoff between one of them and Raila.
Over the weekend Kalonzo and Balala declared they will run for President with the VP indicating that he is already preparing a team to advise him on the polls. “I am preparing for the elections and shortly I will name a team to advise me on the polls,” Kalonzo said.
Ruto has in the past week appeared on Kalenjin vernacular sadio stations Kass FM and Chemgei FM where he gave strong indications that he will go for the presidency directly.
The G7 Alliance leaders have however not agreed on how to tackle the issue of running mates because the constitution requires that each presidential candidate will name a running mate before the polls. The running mate will not be changed if the candidate goes into the runoff or second round voting.
The decision by the G7 leaders to run separately was reached after some of them complained that it may be difficult for them to convince their supporters to back one candidate from the group. “Like the case of Rift Valley it will be difficult for Ruto to convince his supporters to back someone else in the first round. If he does so it will give room for voters to make their own choices and that may benefit our rivals,” said the MP.
Keiyo South MP Jackson Kiptanui says they will back Ruto for presidency through UDM while at the same time they will be preparing to work as a team to beat their rivals. “Ruto has already done enough ground work and we are now finalising plans to take over UDM and use it for the 2012 polls,” said Kiptanui.
In Western, Wamalwa has already indicated his intention to use New Ford Kenya to run for presidency and the plan has been bolstered by the win in Ikolomani and a hotly contested civic seat in Kimilili.
The Saboti MP is already doing his ground work to bring on board most of the key leaders who were formerly in Ford Kenya. They include former Chairman of Ford Kenya Musikari Kombo and former Kimilili MP Dr Mukhisa Kituyi.
A source revealed that Kalonzo, Ruto, Uhuru, Eugene, Balala and others in the team have within the last two weeks met twice to strategize for 2012. The issue of the post-election violence trials at the ICC also arose during their meeting.
However Uhuru and Ruto who are among the six ICC suspects have insisted that they will overcome the cases early enough in readiness for the 2012 polls. They have however agreed to rally their supporters behind a different candidate should the situation require them to do so. At their meeting the G7 leaders also agreed to consult with other key leaders in the country including retired President Moi and they will also make efforts to win over Raila’s close allies like Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi.
Yesterday we learnt that Ruto has embarked on a plan to lure to his side Musalia Mudavadi in a bid likely to terminate Raila Odinga’s election council - The Pentagon.
Sources close to the Eldoret North MP told The Star that Ruto is being driven by his supporters to forge an immediate working relationship with Musalia.
Cherengany MP Joshua Kuttuny confirmed the people of Rift Valley have put pressure on Ruto forge a working alliance with Musalia. “It is very true that our people think he is a nice man. They think he can combine well with Ruto to make the winning team and I can confirm that we have been talking to his people,” Kuttuny said.
Kuttuny said that a project earlier initiated to forge a working alliance with Uhuru has collapsed. “We have found difficulty on the ground selling to our people the idea of working with Uhuru. It has become impossible. We want it but our people don’t want it so we have to look elsewhere,” the Cherengany MP said. The MP said that Ruto’s side is yet to strike any deal in its efforts to get hold of Musalia.
Ruto recently announced that he will go it alone for the Presidency in 2012 exposing a snag in the alliance he was building with Uhuru. The Eldoret North MP made the remarks during an interview at Kass FM where he indicated that Uhuru should support him since he will bring the majority of the votes into the alliance.
A source in the know revealed that former President Moi has expressed willingness to work with the Musalia-Ruto alliance rather than an Uhuru-Ruto alliance. "Mzee is not happy with Uhuru anymore. In fact he is willing and very supportive of the initiatives to make Musalia work with Ruto than with Uhuru," said a confidant of the former President.
In ODM Musalia is considered a shrewd boardroom strategist and if Ruto’s plans to work with him in isolation of Raila succeed then the PM’s 2012 Presidential bid will be in trouble.
Musalia is under pressure from his supporters from Western Kenya to run for Presidency as a condition for local support which he is competing for with Eugene. A meeting said to have been planned for last month which could have seen the two leaders come face to face was called off.
Shinyalu MP Justus Kizito said to have been involved in political shuttling on behalf of Musalia said he could not deny or confirm the existence of such political dealings. “I do not want to tell you no or yes. But I want to put it to you that Musalia is working on his Presidential campaign for 2012,” Kizito said.
Kizito said that unlike the case in 2007 when the Sabatia MP just put up a lukewarm stab at the Presidency his campaign for the 2012 race cannot be taken for grunted. “We want to talk to people like Ruto to come back to ODM so that if they want to support Musalia they do it from within ODM. We are happy that his move to run with Uhuru has hit a dead end and I have been talking to his people telling them to come back to ODM,” Kizito said. Assistant minister Joseph ole Nkaissery warned that any move by Musalia to abandon Raila will be a disaster for the ODM.
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