Thursday, March 22, 2012

UHURU, RUTO TO SUPPORT MUDAVADI



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DEPUTY Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta and Eldoret North MP William Ruto will back Musalia Mudavadi for the presidency if they cannot stand themselves, according to informed sources. And they have privately accepted that the charges they are facing at the International Criminal Court will prevent them from standing, even if they speak differently at their prayer rallies. Even if their trial at the ICC delays until after the election, the ethics rules of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission may bar them from running.
Uhuru and Ruto have now both separately decided that Mudavadi would be the best candidate for them to back against Prime Minister Raila Odinga who is still seen as the front runner in the election now scheduled for March 2013. "I can tell you for sure that Uhuru has no problem paying back the favour Mudavadi granted him by supporting him in 2002. We have discussed this with Uhuru quietly and we have decided that Mudavadi will get our support if he goes for the big seat. After all he enjoys a lot of good will amongst the Kikuyu and the rest of the country," said an aide to Uhuru.
Three MPs who are very close to Ruto separately confirmed that there is a plan to back Mudavadi. "We are almost certain that Ruto and Uhuru may not be in the ballot. We have no other candidate other than Mudavadi and it will not matter which party he will be in," said one MP. Just two weeks ago, Mudavadi dismissed claims that he was a project of President Kibaki, former President Moi or G7 members. He stated that he was a project of all Kenyans.
The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Local Government has been criss crossing the country meeting ODM delegates in his bid to challenge Raila for the party's presidential ticket. Mudavadi wants the ODM candidate to be selected by county electoral colleges of ODM delegates whereas Raila favours a national delegates conference.
However Mudavadi's bid ran into rocky ground following the discovery of a clause in the ODM constitution that guarantees the party leader the presidential ticket. A NEC meeting called two weeks ago to discuss the rules ended in a stalemate after Raila's allies refused to remove the rule to allow Mudavadi to challenge the PM. Another NEC meeting scheduled for this week to review the issue has postponed to next week.
The Mudavadi camp believes he can beat Raila in a county by county nomination exercise with a secret ballot and presided over by the IEBC. Mudavadi's supporters believe that a vote by acclamation at a National Delegates Conference can be manipulated. Mudavadi's exploits have shaken Raila's team and some are convinced that it is only a matter of time before Mudavadi ditches ODM for another party.
He is apparently considering joining Charity Ngilu's NARC party which is being revived. Water minister Ngilu accompanied Mudavadi to meet ODM delegates in Kitui in February but did not accompany Raila when he met ODM delegates in Kitui a few days later. New Ford-Kenya officials are also considering giving Sabatia MP Mudavadi the presidential ticket instead of Saboti MP Eugene Wamalwa to whom they had promised it. Party secretary-general Bonny Khalwale has openly said his party will back Mudavadi if he is on the presidential ballot.
The Mudavadi team is now considering setting up a presidential campaign secretariat after realising that the ODM delegates conference may not change the clause that makes the party leader the automatic presidential candidate. A team of professionals has been advising Mudavadi on his options if he is to remain relevant in Kenyan politics.
Yesterday, tensions escalated in the ODM between supporters of Raila and Mudavadi. Mudavadi's team is now expressing anger after Raila met ODM officials in Kisii on Sunday for almost one hour to discuss party matters and the impending presidential nomination. The ODM officials arrived in Kisii in three Prados and were led by Vihiga County chairman Ken Butiko, an aspirant for the national chairmanship of Orange Young Democrats, Rashid Mohamed from Mumias and a Ben Ombina.
The 15 officials were asked to prepare delegates to travel to Nairobi when the NDC is called. “Raila made it clear to them that the ODM is not going to change any clause in the constitution and that the nomination will be done by the NDC,” a Mudavadi ally claimed. On Monday in Muranga, assistant minister Margaret Wanjiru, a Raila ally, repeated that ODM’s constitution will not be amended. “The act of secretly meeting the officials particularly the chairman of Mudavadi’s home county of Vihiga can only be taken to be a provocation to Mudavadi to quit,” ODM National Elections Board member Charles Werangai said.
The Star reported yesterday that Raila’s adviser Adhu Awiti has been pressurising delegates through his PA William Okoth. However Okoth refuted the claims saying the reports were meant to typecast Raila as intolerant. “I do not have any access to any party documents. I work for the PM’s office and no access whatsoever to the party registers. This malicious story is aimed at portraying as one who fears competition. The PM has always welcomed competition and that’s why he has allowed the DPM to challenge him,” Okoth said in a statement.

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