Thursday, June 21, 2012

Saitoti ‘hired Obama experts for polls’


Saitoti ‘hired Obama experts for polls’

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Photo/JENNIFFER MUIRURI Prof Peter Kagwanja, the head of  Saitoti campaign secretariat inside the offices that  the late Internal Security minister was to use for his presidential campaign.
Photo/JENNIFFER MUIRURI Prof Peter Kagwanja, the head of Saitoti campaign secretariat inside the offices that the late Internal Security minister was to use for his presidential campaign.  
By BERNARD NAMUNANE bnamunane@ke.nationmedia.com AND PETER LEFTIE pmutibo@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted  Wednesday, June 20  2012 at  22:30
IN SUMMARY
  • Head of campaign team says former minister had signed power deal with Uhuru and Kalonzo in the presence of Kibaki
Former Internal Security minister George Saitoti had hired two campaign experts from US President Barack Obama’s 2008 team to lead his bid for State House before he was killed in a plane crash last week.
His campaign secretariat said on Wednesday the experts were Kenyan, but declined to disclose their names.
The team said the former Kajiado North MP had signed a protocol with deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta and Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka two years ago.
The deal was signed in Mombasa on November 10, 2010, in the presence of President Kibaki, said the head of the campaign secretariat Peter Kagwanja.
He was also planning to work with Musalia Mudavadi of UDF and William Ruto of URP, both of whom quit ODM.
However, he denied any knowledge of a memorandum of understanding between Prof Saitoti and Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
“I am not aware that George had any formal contract with the PM and I have consulted widely on this,” he said.
PNU secretary-general Maina Kamanda and “Saitoti 2013” said his party leader had put together a strong team for the campaign.
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“His was an all inclusive team that cut across professional, ethnic, racial and age barriers.
It represented the face of Kenya,” Prof Kagwanja said.
Prof Saitoti was to leave for London, UK, today to formally launch his campaign overseas and meet Kenyans in the diaspora.
“Upon his return from London, his agenda was to bring together like minded leaders for serious negotiations,” Prof Kagwanja said.
He was to follow-up the trip with a tour of the United States next month, said Mr Kamanda.
Prof Saitoti died in a plane crash on June 10 in Ngong Forest.
Mr Kamanda and Prof Kagwanja said the campaign would have been oiled by resources raised through his vast network of friends and well-wishers locally and abroad.
However, they declined to put a figure to it.
“It was not that George wanted to use his wealth to buy Kenyans, no. The campaign was going to be owned by Kenyans who would donate their small resources to fund it.

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