Mudavadi gets green light to talk with Jubilee on post-poll coalition

By Peter Atsiaya

Nairobi, Kenya: Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi is said to have been given a go ahead by Amani alliance to start negotiations with President-elect Uhuru Kenyatta to be part of Jubilee government.

The deal includes Amani alliance principal and Justice minister Eugene Wamalwa’s bid to negotiate for the position of Speaker in the post-election coalition.

Sources close to Mudavadi and Wamalwa told The Standard the DPM has stepped up campaigns to have Amani get Speaker of National Assembly post.

The coalition, on the other hand, is lobbying for Mudavadi to be appointed Cabinet Secretary.

“It is not a secret that Amani alliance would not afford to be in the opposition. We have mandated Mudavadi to start negotiations with Uhuru with a view of having our team work with his government,” said Boniface Otsyula, MP-elect Bumula.

He added: “We want to fight poverty and unemployment among other problems. We cannot do so if we are in the opposition, that is why we have agreed that we should give our numbers to Uhuru and we know in return our people will benefit.”

The lawyer said they would appreciate if Jubilee team agreed to support Wamalwa as Speaker.

“If TNA and URP agree to rally behind Wamalwa as the Speaker, it would be game shot with our numbers added to theirs,” he added.

He said he was aware that it would not be easy but Wamalwa had a good relationship with Uhuru and Deputy President-elect William Ruto.

But according to the deal between TNA and URP sealed when the two parties were agreeing to form an alliance, the Speaker’s seat would go to the former.

Agreed upon

Otsyula noted that the decision to have the negotiations between Amani and Jubilee start was agreed upon by all leaders elected under Amani alliance.

“This is not Mudavadi’s decision. We sat as leaders and gave him the mandate to negotiate for our inclusion in the government,” he added.

He noted that the mood in Western was that majority of the residents supported their proposal to be in Uhuru’s government.

“We want Mudavadi to get one of the key ministerial positions because those are the only top appointments he can get as a politician,” said Ayub Savula, Lugari MP-elect.

He added: “We have not agreed on which ministerial position but we want Mudavadi to get one of the lucrative ones in the deal to keep him at the top of political activities in the country.”

Sabatia MP-elect Alfred Agoi said they would not work with CORD.

“The people we represent have nothing to benefit from our coalition with CORD because they would be in opposition and our numbers would not help us take control of Parliament or Senate,” said Agoi.

Vihiga Senator-elect and Mudavadi’s close ally George Khaniri confirmed that negotiations between the two alliances were going on.