Mudavadi urged to ditch ODM

Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi has been asked to consider joining New Ford-Kenya if he is locked out of the ODM presidential race.

Housing Minister Soita Shitanda said his party was ready to accommodate Mr Mudavadi should a disagreement crop up in ODM over the method to pick the party’s flag bearer.

Mr Mudavadi’s camp has maintained that the ODM nominations should be conducted at the county level, while MPs allied to Prime Minister Raila Odinga have been pushing to have the party’s flag-bearer picked at the National Delegates Conference.

“We are asking Mr Mudavadi to come up with Plan B so that if things don’t work out for him in ODM during the party nominations, he should have options available,” the New Ford-Kenya party leader said.

The Malava MP said his party would only work with the G7 Alliance if its leaders were prepared to back a presidential candidate from western Kenya.

Saboti MP Eugene Wamalwa has declared he will be fighting it out with other leaders from the Alliance for the presidency ticket.

But Mr Shitanda, who spoke at the burial of his step-brother in Butali Village, said: “Communities from western are tired of being used as ladders for those seeking to get to State House.”

Shinyalu MP Justus Kizito, an ally of Mr Mudavadi, said if the Sabatia MP is short-changed in the ODM presidential nominations, the only option for him would be to abandon the party.

At the same time, Tourism Minister Najib Balala has offered “room” for Mr Mudavadi to join his yet-to-be named party if he fell out with Mr Odinga over the nominations.

“I want to tell Mr Mudavadi that if he does not have a ‘Plan B’, then let him come to me and I will give him one,” Mr Balala said in Mombasa on Sunday.

The minister advised area residents to avoid focusing on the election date and instead evaluate the leaders that they are going to choose.

“Do not be bothered by the election date, but evaluate the person you are going to choose and whether he or she is likely to bring change in your life.”

At the same time, he appealed to those supporting Uhuru Kenyatta’s bid for the presidency to give a chance to other contenders from other regions to lead the country.

“For a long time we have had leaders from Central Province. Let them also give a chance to other regions to share the cake to show equality.”