Sunday, November 18, 2012

Ruto, Uhuru in fresh G7 push to beat Raila


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Deputy Prime Minster Uhuru Kenyatta (left) with William Ruto. PHOTO/FILE
Deputy Prime Minster Uhuru Kenyatta (left) with William Ruto. PHOTO/FILE 
By ISAAC ONGIRI iongiri@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted  Monday, November 19  2012 at  00:30
IN SUMMARY
  • Talks aimed at crafting a new all-inclusive formula called as leaders rush to beat coalitions deadline
  • URP boss leads talks to bring Kalonzo and Mudavadi into alliance amid fears that they might strike election deal with ODM
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Political parties have launched a fresh drive to save the G7 Alliance, which has been on the verge of collapse after Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka pulled out.
Mr Musyoka’s Wiper Democratic Movement, Eldoret North MP William Ruto’s United Republic Party (URP), Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi’s United Democratic Forum (UDF), New Ford Kenya of Justice minister Eugene Wamalwa and Water minister Charity Ngilu’s National Rainbow Coalition (Narc) are to start a fresh round of negotiations in an attempt to identify a new formula for an alliance. (READ: Kalonzo caught between a rock and hard place)
A technical committee, made up of representatives from the parties is expected to settle on a team resembling the Rainbow Alliance that brought President Kibaki to power in 2002.
MPs affiliated to the five parties said efforts are being made to avoid a situation where presidential aspirants Uhuru Kenyatta of The National Alliance, Mr Ruto, Mr Musyoka, Mr Wamalwa, Mrs Ngilu and Mr Mudavadi contest on their respective party tickets.
Mr Kenyatta and Mr Ruto have an arrangement to run as a team, together with Mr Wamalwa and Mrs Ngilu. Mr Kenyatta would be top of the ticket with Mr Ruto as his running mate.
The sticking point is finding a way to accommodate Mr Mudavadi and Mr Musyoka, who have their own presidential ambitions.
On Sunday, allies of Mr Musyoka and Mr Ruto said the two have been in talks on the possibility of Mr Musyoka rejoining the alliance. Mr Musyoka has demanded a review of the power sharing deal that forced him out of the alliance.
Belgut MP Charles Keter said arrangements are being made for their team to meet Mr Mudavadi, adding that URP is pushing for an all-inclusive government.
“Things have not been easy, but I know that within the remaining days we will strike a deal. We also understand that certain compromises must be made so that we can move forward,” Mr Keter said.
Mr Musyoka, who was speaking at Africa Gospel Church in Nairobi on Sunday, said “more political re-alignments” were expected this week ahead of the December 4 deadline for political parties to deposit their coalition agreements with the Registrar of Political Parties.
Mr Musyoka, who declined to state whether he had re-joined the G7 Alliance or the Orange Democratic Movement, said the “political re-alignments” were not yet over and that there was still time for parties to consult.
His closest political allies Kangundo MP Johnstone Muthama and Education minister Mutula Kilonzo have been rooting for a coalition with Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s ODM.
But the G7 is said to have been wooing the VP back to their fold.
On Saturday, Mr Ruto met Kangundo MP Johnstone Muthama, a confidant of Mr Kalonzo but the demands he made on behalf of the VP were not immediately accepted by the Eldoret North MP, according to MPs briefed on the discussions.
Mr Muthama was seconded to meet Mr Ruto by the VP shortly after the two met at the home of the chairman of the Kalenjin council of elders, Mr Josiah Sang. At the meeting, Mr Muthama said the VP will only return to G7 if Mr Kenyatta agrees to review his arrangement with Mr Ruto.
Mr Ruto, who was accompanied by Mr Keter, called for reasonable demands in order to make the coalition talks a success.
“We as URP want Kalonzo and Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi to join us so we can create an all-inclusive team and broadened government. But even as they come they must know that there will be no negotiations on the president’s and his deputy’s positions,” said assistant minister Kazungu Kambi.
Last week, Mr Kambi and Trade minister Chirau Mwakwere expressed their displeasure with Mvita MP Najib Balala being incorporated into the alliance. (READ: Muslims back Mwakwere in G7 contest with Balala)
On Sunday, Wiper secretary-general Mutula Kilonzo termed the fresh attempt to lure the VP back to the G7 group as “unfortunate and sad”.

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