Deputy prime Minister and Minister for Local Government Mr Musalia Mudavadi. Photo/FILE
By PETER LEFTIE pmutibo@ke.nationmedia.com AND OLIVER MUSEMBI osembi@gmail.com
Posted Thursday, April 12 2012 at 22:30
Posted Thursday, April 12 2012 at 22:30
Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi met New Ford Kenya leader Soita Shitanda and Ikolomani MP Boni Khalwale for three hours on Wednesday night as speculation intensified that he was considering ditching ODM.
The meeting at Mr Mudavadi’s residence in Nairobi’s Riverside estate came only hours after he accused the Orange party of betrayalfor submitting its constitution to the Registrar of Political Parties before amending it to provide for competitive nomination of the presidential candidate.
Mr Shitanda confirmed they met the Deputy Prime Minister and discussed politics.
“We frequently go to Mudavadi’s home for a drink like we did yesterday (Thursday). Being politicians, we must talk about politics,” said Mr Shitanda, who is also Housing minister.
The meeting is politically significant given that Mr Shitanda and Dr Khalwale have been the most ardent supporters of Mr Mudavadi’s presidential bid in Western Province outside ODM.
This has sparked speculation that he could be considering joining New Ford Kenya.
The absence of Justice minister Eugene Wamalwa at the meeting was also telling as he has been the party’s preferred presidential candidate.
Mr Wamalwa accompanied Mr Shitanda and Dr Khalwale to the Registrar of Political Parties to apply for registration of the party.
Dr Khalwale is on record saying the party would ask Mr Wamalwa to step down in favour of Mr Mudavadi if he were to vie for the presidency.
Meanwhile, ODM leaders from Central Province want a special national delegates congress to ratify amendments to the constitution and nomination rules.
Speaking during a meeting in Thika, the officials from 29 branches called for a level playing ground to avoid a fallout within the party.
“We want open and democratic party presidential nominations at county level,” they said in a statement read by Kiambaa sub-branch chairman George Wanyugi King’e.
The ODM National Executive Committee met last week and agreed to Mudavadi’s demand for a competitive nomination process.
However, the party applied for registration on the old constitution, saying it will change the rules in due course.
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