Ruto reveals poll trap G7 has laid for Raila

The G7 Alliance is hoping to force a presidential run-off, then rally behind one of their allies against Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

Eldoret North MP William Ruto, who is in the State House race on the United Republican Party ticket, revealed this on Wednesday as the Orange Democratic Movement said it will roll out its countrywide campaign programme next week.

Mr Odinga is widely seen as the front runner in the elections, but his rivals say they are determined to stop him winning in the first round and then combine forces to beat him in the run-off.

This means that the alliance, which brings together Mr Ruto, Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka, Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta and Justice Minister Eugene Wamalwa, will sign a post-election coalition agreement — and not a pre-election deal.

Mr Ruto said Mr Musyoka of Wiper Democratic Movement, Mr Kenyatta (The National Alliance) and Mr Wamalwa (New Ford Kenya) have all re-branded their parties and embarked on a vote-hunting mission across the country.

“As it stands, we will all meet at the ballot box. We have all put measures in place and each one of us is selling his party to the people in readiness for the next elections,” he said. The G7 Alliance aspirants are preparing for an epic battle against Mr Odinga.

Even though there has been a clamour for the leaders to agree on one of them to face Mr Odinga, insiders say they have opted to lock up key regions from the PM to push for a run-off.

Deputy PM Musalia Mudavadi of the United Democratic Forum (UDF) has also indicated his willingness to work with the G7 Alliance.

And on Wednesday, Mr Musyoka said they will also work with Mvita MP Najib Balala who is set to launch his party. (READ: We will work together, say Kalonzo and Balala)

“I have come to announce that Balala is a brother and we will travel this journey together. We want leaders that have vision like Balala to liberate the country from poor leadership, poverty and unemployment,” he said in Mombasa.

Each of the aspirants will concentrate on his region, Dujis MP Aden Duale said. On Wednesday, Mr Ruto said they will agree on the post-election coalition deal before campaigns proper for the March 4, 2013 General Election start.

To signal the readiness for the coalition talks, Mr Musyoka’s WDM on Tuesday named a five-man team to lead the negotiations on the alliance with other parties.

It is led by acting chairman Lucas Maitha and comprises secretary-general Mutula Kilonzo, assistant minister David Musila, Mr Mohammed Affey and party official Jennifer Masis.

Mr Ruto said his URP was up and running and will this weekend head to the Rift Valley region, which has become a hunting ground for all aspirants.

His intention is to erase any gains Roads Minister Franklin Bett, assistant minister Magerer Lang’at and Tinderet MP Henry Kosgey have made for ODM in the region.

His five-day campaign starts in West Pokot tomorrow and will also take him to Baringo, Elgeyo Marakwet and the South Rift. Mr Kenyatta is seeking to market his TNA party in Mt Kenya region.

This weekend, he takes his campaigns to Meru where MPs have been divided over support for his party.

For the last two days, those who support TNA have engaged Energy Minister Kiraitu Murungi in a war of words over his assertion that Mr Kenyatta must involve his Alliance Party of Kenya in the region.

Mr Mudavadi will be in Mombasa and Lamu on Friday, before heading to Nyeri on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Mr Odinga’s ODM will harmonise all lobby groups involved in his presidential campaign. The lobbies will also set up branches in all the counties to give Mr Odinga an edge over his rivals in the race to succeed President Kibaki.

On Wednesday, the ODM secretariat executive director Janet Ong’era said the campaign programme will be launched next week by the party’s national executive council and the parliamentary group.

The party’s parliamentary secretary Ababu Namwamba said the meeting is meant to strengthen the ODM campaigns.