PHOTO | PMPS Prime Minister Raila Odinga hugs his Deputy Premier and Minister for Local Govrnment Hon. Musalia Mudavadi at Kisumu International Airport when the two bade farewell to Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni.
By JULIUS SIGEI IN NAIROBI AND EMMANUEL KYEZAHO IN KAMPALA newsdesk@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted Saturday, February 25 2012 at 22:30
Posted Saturday, February 25 2012 at 22:30
IN SUMMARY
- Uganda President maintains his visit to Raila’s home was to raise funds for university, not to reconcile warring factions
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has dismissed claims that his visit to Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s home in Bondo last week was meant to reconcile the two warring factions in the Orange Democratic Movement.
Speaking through his press secretary Tamale Mirundi, Mr Museveni said his visit had nothing to do with the wrangles in the party. (READ: Museveni dinner splits ODM rivals)
Purpose of that visit
“None of them (neither Mr Odinga nor Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi) asked him to reconcile them. The purpose of that visit was simply to fund raise for the university,” Mr Mirundi said.
He was responding to questions raised by the Sunday Nation after some leaders in ODM claimed that the Ugandan leader’s visit appeared to boost Mr Odinga’s presidential chances.
“President Museveni is a senior man in politics. That is why he told you that he has now become an expert. Trying to drag the president into these wrangles, I think, is not good. His visit had nothing to do with their internal wrangles. He cannot drag himself into the domestic affairs of a sovereign nation unless he is asked to do so,” he said.
He said President Museveni first saw Mr Mudavadi when the former was being received at the airport, and Mr Odinga introduced him along with the people who had lined up to receive him.
“President Museveni was invited to Prime Minister Odinga’s home in Bondo, and this was a private matter, unless one of the two decided to issue a statement about it. But private matters are private matters,” Mr Mirundi said.
Mr Mudavadi’s spokesman, Mr Kibisu Kabatesi, responded in a terse statement that Mr Onyango could not have read the two leaders’ minds.Mr Odinga’s and Mr Mudavadi’s communication directors disagreed last Sunday over the contents of the two leader’s discussions after Mr Odinga’s spokesman Dennis Onyango sent a statement to newsrooms that the two leaders’ meetings showed they were “following each other’s campaigns keenly”.
On Monday, Mr Mudavadi also dismissed claims he met the PM in the presence of Mr Museveni to discuss party challenges. (READ: No party politics at the PM’s dinner: Mudavadi)
Party matters
“I was invited in my capacity as the DPM and as a minister in government. Issues discussed were related to the two countries. We did not discuss any party matters,” said Mr Mudavadi while addressing delegates in Kiambu.
President Museveni spoke even as Mr Odinga and Mr Mudavadi continued with their separate meetings.
The PM addressed delegates in Samburu and Mumias while the DPM was in Makueni County.
Mr Kabatesi insisted that the two leaders would not hold joint rallies until after the nominations. “How can you hold joint rallies when you are campaigning? Supposing hooligans hijack the rally to have a particular leader heckled?” asked Mr Kabatesi.
ODM met last Tuesday to reduce tension in the country’s largest party. It was agreed that the two leaders could campaign separately but are to avoid making comments that could escalate anxiety among supporters.
A delegates’ conference is to be held next month to confirm nomination rules and elect national officials.
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