Post-election deal with Uhuru splits Musalia, Eugene

By Stephen Makabila

KENYA: The political intrigues around a post-election deal between Amani and Jubilee coalitions could see an end to the ‘honeymoon’ between Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi and his Western Province ally Eugene Wamalwa.

The strains come at a time the Mudavadi-led coalition’s elected leaders retreated to Naivasha from Thursday to chart its destiny. Wamalwa kept off the retreat.

The point of departure between Mudavadi and Wamalwa, who joined forces in early January, The Standard On Sunday established, is the DPM’s move to denounce a post-election deal with President-elect Uhuru Kenyatta last weekend.

Uhuru had announced after the meeting at his Nairobi residence last Saturday that he had signed an agreement with nine parties, including Mudavadi’s UDF, which is part of the Amani coalition. Mudavadi and Wamalwa were at the meeting. But Mudavadi on Monday called a press conference and denied he had signed any deal with Uhuru.

“In any case, if such deals are entered, they would have to be deposited with the Registrar of Political Parties and we would make them public,” Mudavadi said after meeting Amani MPs.

Political marriage

Not amused by Mudavadi’s move to slow down the Amani-Jubilee ‘political marriage’, Wamalwa on Tuesday summoned the New Ford-Kenya National Executive Committee and leaders elected on his party ticket in Nairobi to state he would lead his party into a post-election deal with Uhuru even without Mudavadi.

Among those who attended the Tuesday meeting at the New Ford-Kenya offices in Lavington included Housing Minister Soita Shitanda, MPs-elect Bonface Otsyula (Bumula), Reginalda Wanyonyi (Bungoma County women representative), Janet Nangabo (Trans-Nzoia County women representative), Dan Wanyama (Webuye West), Davies Wafula (Saboti), David Were (Matungu), and immediate former nominated MP Musikari Kombo.

“We had met on March 11 as members of Amani and agreed to work with Uhuru. We agreed to engage Jubilee leaders unless the court overturns their victory, and the efforts culminated in last Saturday meeting,” Wamalwa told The Standard On Sunday. The Justice minister added: “There is therefore some confusion on what Mudavadi said. If Mudavadi has issues, we as New Ford-Kenyaare ready to team up with Jubilee.”

He said his party was happy with Uhuru’s pledge to form an all-inclusive government.

Former Shinyalu MP Justus Kizito, a Mudavadi ally, who held talks with Wamalwa on Monday at his Co-operative House office, said there was nothing wrong if Amani entered an immediate post-election agreement with Uhuru.

Plum positions

“People want to move forward. We are ready to work with Uhuru and he should give us any available positions in government,” added Kizito.

And in what is likely to keep his supporters guessing, Wamalwa also declared he was not interested in the position of Speaker of National Assembly, but was quick to add he was ready to serve the country in any other capacity.

Sources in New Ford-Kenya told The Standard On Sunday Wamalwa could land a Cabinet secretary slot, while two MPs from his party would be elected to chair at least two parliamentary committees on top of other senior postings in government for professionals he may front. Until January 4, when Wamalwa in a surprise move sacrificed his presidential ambition to back Mudavadi, the two had remained political competitors in their Western Province backyard.

Presidential bid

Around October last year, Wamalwa insisted he would not drop his presidential ambition for Mudavadi or any other contestant from Western Province.

“Unlike my colleagues who belong to the old political order, my candidature offers a fresh start and hope,” Wamalwa had said.

But come January 4, Wamalwa declared he had dropped his presidential bid and was instead to support Mudavadi.

Wamalwa said he made the decision to defer his ambition until 2017 because he believed Mudavadi was capable of winning the March 4 General Election.

“Indeed, those who have said it would be a two-horse race are wrong. Today, we have come here to seal the bond of a new agreement signed by Pambazuka and UDF as one team. And we shall field one presidential candidate in the name of Musalia Mudavadi,” he said at the Bomas of Kenya.

But Mudavadi came a distant third in the presidential race, behind Uhuru and CORD presidential candidate Raila Odinga.

Whether the Naivasha retreat will heal the strains between Mudavadi and Wamalwa for the sake of the coalition remains to be seen.

Mudavadi and Wamalwa have in the past worked with Uhuru. While Mudavadi had signed a pre-election deal with Uhuru that later aborted, Wamalwa had been a member of the G7 alliance alongside Uhuru and William Ruto.

The Wamalwa position vindicates those who said the former Saboti MP was a Jubilee ‘arsenal’ in Amani. He would come in handy in a re-run of the presidential race, were the Supreme Court to nullify Uhuru’s alleged win of the March 4 presidential election.