Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka. Photo/File/ANTHONY OMUYA
By PETER LEFTIE, pmutibo@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted Saturday, July 16 2011 at 20:57
Posted Saturday, July 16 2011 at 20:57
Behind the veneer of confidence exuded by Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka’s camp, the long serving Mwingi North MP is a troubled man. And for good reason.
Like all other 2012 presidential candidates, Mr Musyoka is grappling with the political, logistical and financial nightmare of assembling a winning team come 2012.
The VP’s camp was exuding confidence at the weekend with nominated MP Mohammed Affey saying Mr Musyoka was the candidate to beat.
“ODM Kenya goes into the elections with a clear headstart. It is the only party with a candidate who is not tainted by corruption or any other scandal,” Mr Affey said.
But, according to insiders, a task force picked by Mr Musyoka to scout for a running mate and craft a winning strategy threw in the towel barely three months into the task saying it was making no headway. The team was led by a prominent lawyer and a close confidante of Mr Musyoka.
Mr Musyoka’s loyalists dismissed views that the VP was facing an herculean task identifying a credible running mate, exuding confidence that he will emerge victorious in the PNU primaries.
Mr Musyoka’s loyalists dismissed views that the VP was facing an herculean task identifying a credible running mate, exuding confidence that he will emerge victorious in the PNU primaries.
“ODM Kenya is a strong member of the PNU coalition, the party produced the joint PNU candidate during the Kamukunji by-election,” said Mr Affey. “ODM Kenya will participate in the joint PNU nomination to pick the presidential candidate and the running mate. We will respect the results if the process is free and fair, regardless of the outcome,” he went on.
But according to former ally turned critic, Mutito MP Kiema Kilonzo, ODM Kenya stood no chance in the 2012 election after losing many of its pointmen in its lower Eastern base and most parts of the country.
“ODM Kenya has weakened greatly since the last General Election because its top organs never meet, the PG never meets.
Every party has its strongholds and for ODM Kenya one would think that area is Ukambani.
But I’m not sure whether you can spot an ODM Kenya office if you moved across Ukambani today, and where there is an office, I’m not sure whether you can get any supporters on the ground,” he said.
But Mr Affey dismissed the claims, saying ODM Kenya had made inroads into areas that were no-go zones in the run-up to the 2007 election.
“ODM-Kenya has not lost membership. On the contrary, the party has made inroads in all corners of the country.
We recently won a parliamentary seat in North Eastern (Wajir South), we have also scooped a number of civic seats in Coast Province.
We have not lost any MPs, Charles Kilonzo remains a member of ODM Kenya. Kiema has no option but to stick to ODM Kenya if he wants to remain politically relevant,” he claimed.
Go it alone
But even with all indications that one of the politicians touted as a possible Musyoka running mate William Ruto would go it alone in 2012 after all, the VP’s camp in undeterred.
“The PNU alliance is between ODM Kenya and PNU, this is the alliance that stabilised the country after the disputed presidential election results. William Ruto is welcome to join the alliance and make his positive contribution.
He will also be within his democratic rights to go it alone if he so wishes,” Mr Affey contends.
A Member of Parliament from the Rift Valley who did not wish to be named described the VP as “a moderate capable of attracting support across the country,” adding that the Mwingi North MP enjoys “international connections and has a clean record in the management of public affairs”.
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