Plot thickens as VP open to Raila talks

At about 10am on Saturday, Eldoret North MP William Ruto was at Wilson Airport in Nairobi to catch a flight to Taita Taveta county.

Some 15 minutes later, Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka arrived to address a news conference he had called to speak about alliance building ahead of the March 2013 elections.

As the VP exchanged greetings with journalists, Mr Ruto walked out of the waiting room apparently after receiving a telephone call. He had been waiting for his helicopter with Environment minister Chirau Ali Mwakwere and Dujis MP Aden Duale.

Although Mr Musyoka inquired about the whereabouts of Mr Ruto, whom he referred to as “Billy”, the duo did not meet for the close to 30 minutes that they were at the airport to catch flights to different destinations.

The helicopter by which the Eldoret North MP travelled took off as the VP left the conference room. Mr Musyoka was on his way to Samburu.

The cold relations at the airport perhaps signifies the latest phase in the roller-coaster of alliance building that has dominated the political landscape in the past few weeks.

It emerged that Mr Ruto and Deputy Prime Minister and TNA leader Uhuru Kenyatta may have crafted an election pact that excludes Mr Musyoka.

Indeed, on Saturday, Mr Musyoka invited Mr Duale and Mr Mwakwere to his press conference but they politely declined.

Mr Duale, the URP spokesman, later told the Sunday Nation they would not attend the press conference because the VP’s agenda did not concern them.

The VP told journalists that he had not started any pre-election coalition talks with ODM contrary to the statements made on Thursday in Kangundo by his key ally Johnstone Muthama, who hosted Prime Minister Raila Odinga and other Orange leaders to lunch and a political rally in Tala.

But Mr Musyoka said the two parties could still talk on peace, unity and stability of the country.

“We are mid-wifing rebirth of the Kenyan nation,” he said. “There’s need for Kenyans to set aside their suspicion, prejudice and bitterness.”

Reports of a new political alliance between Mr Odinga and Mr Musyoka came to the fore after Mr Muthama, the Kangundo MP, said on Wednesday that the VP and Mr Odinga should agree on who would run for president and who would be running mate.

The remarks were backed by Mr Odinga’s allies, including ODM chairman Henry Kosgey and Lands minister James Orengo at rallies in Machakos county. In Kangundo, Mr Odinga said his visit was a sign of things to come.

“We have come a long way together and whenever we reach an agreement things happen,” the PM said.

But on Saturday, Mr Musyoka said his party had a relationship with TNA, URP, New Ford-Kenya and Alliance Party of Kenya and asserted that he “likes keeping friends”.

The VP who appeared to have softened his stance that his Wiper Democratic Movement would not negotiate with ODM said dialogue should be above suspicion, participatory and not through random pronouncements.

“It should follow the party rank and file,” he said, adding that Kenyans deserve a leader they can respect and trust.

Asked if Wiper would negotiate a coalition with ODM if approached, Mr Musyoka said the emphasis was on “structured dialogue”.

Nominated MP Mohamed Affey, who accompanied the VP, said: “ODM has not contacted us in the right way and if they do we will follow the party channels.”

Sources in Wiper, TNA and URP told the Sunday Nation that Mr Musyoka had tried reaching Mr Kenyatta and Mr Ruto after reports that Wiper was working on a pre-election coalition with ODM but they had not talked.

The shaky relationship in the G7 alliance is said to have led Mr Kenyatta, Mr Ruto and Justice minister Eugene Wamalwa to work on a campaign strategy ahead of the March 4 elections that seems to have excluded Mr Musyoka and Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi.

According to a source familiar with G7 politics, the group has categorised the main campaign blocs into three.

One, they have given up on efforts to attract Mr Mudavadi to join them and are convinced the Sabatia MP will go all the way to the polls on his own.

Two, they believe that Mr Odinga and Mr Musyoka will team up, and three Mr Kenyatta, Mr Ruto, Mr Wamalwa and Water minister Charity Ngilu will work together.

As the latest shenanigans unfolded, Immigration minister Otieno Kajwang on Saturday said he was baffled that URP was trying to raise the ICC case to the level of political ideologies on which parties can take a political stand.

The minister said the stand by Mr Duale had left Kenyans wondering if the URP believed the ICC case facing four Kenyans was an intrusion into Kenya’s sovereignty.

“Are those in URP and like-minded parties trying to tell Kenyans that if they were to win the forthcoming General Election then they would rebel against the ICC and the international community?” asked the minister.

He was referring to comments by Mr Duale on Friday that URP would only form a coalition with those parties that “understand the ICC equation”.

“Let them tell Kenyans whether, in their views, Kofi Annan is pursuing a genuine cause of crimes against humanity or is an intruder into the country’s internal affairs. I urge my brothers to prepare day and night to defend themselves against the charges at the ICC,” the minister said.

The Sunday Nation has learnt from multiple sources that the G7 group has believed all along that Mr Odinga would get his running mate from Eastern and that is why MP Gitobu Imanyara had positioned himself for such an appointment.

But the entry of Mr Musyoka tipped the balance. Mr Imanyara resigned from Mr Odinga’s campaign secretariat.

“With about 120 days to the elections, coaches have released names of the first 11 and our key players are Uhuru, Ruto, Eugene and Ngilu,” said a G7 insider who asked not to be named.

Mr Musyoka is said to have fallen out with the G7 alliance after remarks attributed to Mr Muthama during a rally in Machakos appeared to disparage the two ICC suspects interested in the presidency.

To push the TNA and URP deal forward, a bonding retreat has been planned in Mombasa for elders from the Kikuyu and Kalenjin communities this week. This is to be followed by another meeting bringing together professionals that support the two leaders and their parties.

In Kericho, Energy assistant minister Magerer Langat said ODM had reached out to Mr Musyoka to form a coalition.

Assistant minister Beatrice Kones urged Mr Ruto to humble himself and work with the PM, adding that such a move would grant him easy entry into State House in 2017 when Mr Odinga completes one term as president.

“I call on our elders to join the talks and advise Ruto on this issue so that we have a sense of direction. I believe in my heart that the PM and Mr Ruto can work together again as they did in 2007,” Mrs Kones said.