Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) and Minister for Local Government Musalia Mudavadi (Right) with Minister for Justice and Constitution Affairs Eugene Wamalwa during the burial of the late paramount chief John James Nabutola at Mateka area of Bumula Constituency on Saturday, April 21, 2012 Photo/DPMPS
WESTERN Kenya may now have a presidential candidate after regional heavyweights leaders agreed to support one of their own.
Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi, ministers Eugene Wamalwa and Moses Wetang’ula together with Lugari MP Cyrus Jirongo met yesterday in a bid to strike a deal.
Eugene had requested for the meeting, shortly after Uhuru Kenyatta confirmed that he would not be his running mate in the March 2013 election.
The four met at the Sankara Hotel in Westlands, Nairobi for breakfast for close to three hours. "I can tell you that the Western leaders have finally seen the need to be united. We are happy that it was Eugene who convened the breakfast. We will have a strong candidate,” said a Western MP.
Mudavadi’s spokesman Kibisu Kabatesi confirmed the breakfast meeting which he described as a continuation of the Maasai Mara meeting that was hosted last month by COTU secretary general Francis Atwoli. Jirongo, Mudavadi and Wetangula attended the Mara meeting.
“The leaders were meeting as part of the ongoing discussion to unite the region behind one presidential candidate and these meetings will on in the run up to the polls,” Kibisu added.
The Justice minister said he was upset at how the TNA coalition partners Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto had treated him. Last weekend, he protested that he was being considered as a junior partner.
The Sabaot MP reportedly complained that Uhuru had asked him to dissolve his New Ford Kenya party, join TNA and run for the Trans Nzoia senate seat. Eugene was to be supported to become the Speaker of the Senate.
Eugene faced a rebellion in his backyard as TNA wanted him to nominate the party candidate for the Trans Nzoia governorship from the Bukusu community with his running mate from the Kikuyu community.
"The ground was shifting from him in Bungoma and Trans Nzoia were he to join TNA and accept a deputy governor from another community. Yet TNA was telling him to take it or leave it. So he decided to leave so as to avoid a backlash," an ally of the minister added.
Wamalwa then signalled other Luhya presidential aspirants that he was ready to negotiate for a deal to unite the community.
The four have appointed a technical team to draft an agreement to spell out the terms of cooperation of their respective parties.
According to the 2009 population census, the Luhya community is the second largest community behind the Kikuyu. Mudavadi would benefit from the alliance especially if Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka accepted to be his running mate.
"The leaders were not discussing on whom to support but how to reach at one candidate and as for now the discussion are still on. It’s too early to conclude,” Kibisu added.
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