Doubts over Mudavadi, Kalonzo deal

By Moses Njagih

Coalition talks between Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka and Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi are troubled.

The Standard has reliably established that attempts by the two to forge a pre-election alliance is floundering after both refused to cede ground on their ambitions to be the presidential flag bearer.

As if to confirm that the talks were on ice, the Wiper Democratic Movement MPs held a press conference in Parliament where they announced the VP is still in talks with Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta and Eldoret North MP William Ruto.

They said Kalonzo held talks with Uhuru on Tuesday, appearing to flip-flop on earlier assertions that he had abandoned the so-called G7 alliance in protest at being treated as a “junior” partner.

The VP jetted out of the country to Malaysia on Tuesday evening for a two-day trip. While there he is expected to meet the country’s leaders and officials of the country’s ruling United Malays National Organisation (UMNO).

Interestingly, Prime Minister Raila Odinga returned last week from a trip to Malaysia where he received an honorary degree from Limkokwing University of Creative Technology.

Things got heated after Mudavadi’s camp circulated a document that suggested Kalonzo lacks the support to launch a credible run for the presidency.

Legal requirement

It portrayed Mudavadi as the leading presidential aspirant in satisfying the legal requirement for nomination by no fewer than 2000 voters each from at least 24 counties.

But the acting Registrar of Political Parties Ms Lucy Ndung’u dismissed the document saying she did not know its origin.

“UDF is trying to confuse Kenyans because the Political Parties Act requires each party to recruit as members not fewer than 1000 registered voters from each of more than half of the counties (24) and not 2000 as alleged,” Ndung’u said.

The document alleged that Mudavadi’s UDF would meet the threshold in 32 counties while Kalonzo’s Wiper would only manage 13 counties,  Uhuru’s TNA 29 and Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s ODM 27.

“If presidential nominations were to be held some aspirants would be disqualified from vying for presidency because they cannot comply with the Political Parties Act,” nominated MP George Nyamweya told a rally in Embu attended by Mudavadi.

“That is the reason they are pursuing coalition deals kufa na kupona (by all means).”

Housing Minister Mr Soita Shitanda alluded to the stalemate when he publicly stated he did not foresee a pre-election pact because parties only agreed to conditional talks.

Not negotiable

Mudavadi has publicly stated his ambition to be President is not negotiable, while Kalonzo has argued he is entitled to succeed President Kibaki because he has served as his VP.

Kalonzo has also cited his age to underscore his seniority in talks with Mudavadi. Kalonzo’s camp has argued he should be the presidential candidate as he is turning 60 while Mudavadi is 51.

Kalonzo has demanded that Raila, Mudavadi, Ruto and Uhuru play second fiddle in any alliance crafted with them, because he would be the most senior politician in the group.

“He argues that he entered politics (Parliament) in 1985, Raila (1992), Mudavadi (1989), Ruto (1997), Charity Ngilu in 1992 and Wamalwa 2003,” said a Wiper MP who asked not to be named.

But Mudavadi maintains he withdrew from the race in 2002 for Uhuru and in 2007 for Raila and that it is his turn to be backed for the presidency.

The Standard also learnt of a meeting on Tuesday in Nairobi between allies of Kalonzo and Raila who have been pushing for a deal between the two.

Cabinet Minister Mutula Kilonzo and Kangundo MP Johnstone Muthama met ODM ministers James Orengo and Dalmas Otieno at the Public Service minister’s office. 

In Parliament, MPs from Ukambani region said Kalonzo was still open to coalition talks with Uhuru and Ruto.

MPs Gideon Ndambuki, Prof Philip Kaloki, Victor Munyaka and Peter Kiilu said the Uhuru-Ruto option is one among many, including Mudavadi’s.

“Kalonzo and Uhuru are still friends, we have been working together with them (Uhuru and Ruto) for a long time and we still believe that they can work together,” said Ndambuki, the Wiper Parliamentary Group Chairman.

The MPs said the party’s National Executive Council would meet to review the coalition discussions and set the agenda for the National Delegates Conference on December 3, where the coalition agreement will be ratified.

In Embu, UDF allied MPs George Nyamweya, Jeremiah Kioni and Nderitu Muriithi said their party is the only one with a national membership spread across all counties.

Regional outfits

“The data shows that Ruto complies in only 15 while Kalonzo does in 13.?Mudavadi is followed by TNA, ODM, URP and Wiper aspirants with compliance in 28, 26, 15 and 13 Counties respectively in the latest statistic from IEBC web site,” said Nyamweya.?

The MPs noted that data on membership shows that other parties concentrated in their flag bearers’ strongholds making them regional outfits.