I'm ready to form alliances, says Mudavadi
Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi (left) and Industrialisation assistant minister Nderitu Muriithi (right) World Accreditation Day at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre (KICC), Nairobi on June 7, 2012. He said his UDF party was open to alliances with other parties. JAYNE NGARI
The United Democratic Forum is ready to form alliances with other parties to propel it to the top of Kenya's leadership.
Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi said UDF will not work in isolation, but will embrace other parties sharing common ideology.
"We cannot be a party of exclusion. That is not what we intend. We intend to embrace all Kenyans," said the DPM Thursday in Nairobi during celebrations to commemorate the 5th World Accreditation Day at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre (KICC), Nairobi where he represented President Kibaki.
"If at some later stages it calls for us to work with parties that we share common positions on some of the policies we have been espousing then, then it will be necessary to have some structured engagement with them.
"This can sometimes be (done) on the basis of coalition agreements or by exchanging views and reaching common understanding with the other parties," said Mr Mudavadi, who is also the Sabatia MP.
Mr Mudavadi, together with Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta of The National Alliance and Eldoret North MP, William Ruto (United Republican Party), all presidential aspirants are said to be working closely as they approach the next General Election.
They have agreed to join forces to defeat their main rival, Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
Laugh off
But Mr Odinga has laughed off the strategy, likening the G7 plot to the proverbial rat that tried to bell the cat.
"They are like those rats who after making a nice bell started arguing who would tie it around the cat's neck. TNA said 'no I can't', URP said 'no I can't' and UDF said 'no' as well. So, in the end nobody was able to belt the cat and that cat is called ODM," said Mr Odinga.
The tripartite alliance, however, appears not to have gone down well with Justice minister Eugene Wamalwa, who stated at the weekend he will not work with the G7 Alliance if Mr Mudavadi was being brought on board with the single aim of defeating the PM.
On Thursday, Mr Mudavadi said his close working relationship with members of the G7 alliance was not meant to sideline Mr Wamalwa.
"I am not evicting anybody from anywhere. People should relax," said Mr Mudavadi.
