I’m building alliances with leaders across the country: Kalonzo

Don’t write me off in the battle for the country’s next president, Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka has told his critics.

And the Mwingi North MP insists he does not feel isolated in the ongoing political campaigns.

In an interview with the Sunday Nation, Mr Musyoka added he was disheartened some Kenyans thought his attempts to get the cases against the Ocampo Six deferred for a year were laced with ill motive.

The Vice-President described himself as a team player and added that he will seek to build political alliances with politicians from across the country ahead of next year’s elections.

Political alliance

There has been widespread perception that the VP is being sidelined by Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta and Eldoret North MP William Ruto, whom Mr Musyoka says he intends to form a political alliance with ahead of the polls.

The perception has been reinforced by the fact that Mr Musyoka has not attended recent political rallies addressed by Mr Kenyatta and Mr Ruto.

Asked if he felt like he had been sidelined, Mr Musyoka said: “Obviously you cannot force yourself on people. Kenyans have the right of thought and to associate with whoever they want. But I don’t think it is possible to isolate the VP of any country.”

He was, however, categorical that he will seek political alliances ahead of 2012.

“I do not believe in isolationism. I believe in team spirit and if out of the team somebody else is picked, I will applaud, provided I am defeated in a fair nomination process,” he said.

When asked to assess his 2012 chances, given that recent opinion polls placed him second to Prime Minister Raila Odinga for the 2012 race, he said: “The way I see it, you cannot rule out a person who gets a million votes at the first trial. Remember also that my party (ODM-K) produced a VP in the first attempt.”

In a rather candid self-assessment, the VP added: “People have always categorised me as a coward, but I don’t think they understand me. They have not heard the last of me.”

Many Kenyans think that Mr Musyoka’s shuttle diplomacy to convince the Security Council to defer the cases against the Ocampo Six is an exercise in futility.

Indeed, opinion polls have consistently indicated that most Kenyans prefer The Hague option to a local mechanism to try post-election violence suspects.

Steadfastly optimistic

However, Mr Musyoka has remained steadfastly optimistic that Kenya’s request will be successful, even though some of the countries with veto powers in the Security Council – the US, Britain and France – have indicated they will veto it.

“There are several indications that we could get the nine votes needed to secure the deferral, but there is also the possibility that one of the P5 (countries with veto powers) might want to veto the decision. We shall know how to proceed then. But we are also following the inadmissibility of the cases in the ICC,” he said.

In addition, he said, the government was also seeking to have the Security Council formally debate and vote on Kenya’s request. So far, only an informal session of the Security Council has indicated they would not support Kenya’s request.

“We are now looking at putting the matter under Article 16 of the UN, requesting for formal debate and voting. If that happens, African representatives at the Security Council – South Africa, Gabon and Nigeria – will be expected to act in accordance with the AU resolution.”

The AU supports Kenya’s request.

Though he insists that he is doing the shuttle diplomacy “for country and friend”, some people have questioned his intentions.

Political associates of some of the Ocampo Six allege that he is secretly hoping to benefit politically should the ICC cases bar Mr Ruto and Mr Kenyatta from running in 2012.

My mission

“That breaks my heart. First of all, it has not been my mission. The President gave it to me. I was only his special envoy. I am glad that I have done this for my country and for my friends, some of whom might have never even stood by me if I was in the same situation.”

Pressed on what the ICC cases meant for him politically, he said: “I am doing this for my country and because I believe that it is greater impunity to only take the six who might be cleared. What happens to the rest of the people?”

He conceded that though his decision to support the deferral request might be unpopular at home, it was the right one nonetheless.

“My decisions might appear unpopular but I think people will judge me properly in time,” he said.

He added that he was aware of the negative talk about his chances of being president, but insisted that it would not hurt his campaigns or prevent his name from appearing on the ballot box next year.

“I am not bothered and I am not scared. Remember, some of them called me a traitor. Let’s see if they will repeat that statement now after what I am doing and have done in the past for this country.”

He also took a subtle jibe at Mr Odinga for suggesting that the country should enlist the services of foreign investigators – including the FBI and Scotland Yard – to conduct investigations into crimes committed during the post-election violence.

Mr Odinga has stated that he will support the ICC cases being referred to Kenya on condition that a credible local tribunal is formed.

“How do you become a leader of a country in whose citizens you have no faith? After nearly 50 years of independence, I believe we have a suitable calibre of Kenyans to sit in these positions. Such suggestions also defeat the reasons we have a new Constitution,” he said.