Raila and Mudavadi vow to unite Kenyans ahead of polls

Opposition leaders Raila Odinga and Musalia Mudavadi on Wednesday said they would unite Kenyans in readiness to face Jubilee in next year’s elections.

Mr Odinga (ODM) and Mr Mudavadi (Amani National Congress) said all opposition parties would come together to form a super alliance. Should they win the elections, they said, they would “correct the failures of the Jubilee administration and place the country back on the path to prosperity.”

Speaking during a rally at Kathwana Market in Tharaka-Nithi County, Mr Odinga accused the Jubilee government of failing to fight corruption and tribalism and presiding over the collapse of the economy.

The Cord co-principal said Jubilee had not fulfilled its promise on school laptops, and job creation, among many others. He added that the government had branded the opposition as enemies of development for exposing corruption.

“When I said money had been stolen in the Ministry of Devolution, the President, deputy William Ruto, Senator Kipchumba Murkomen and Majority Leader Aden Duale attacked me, but they are now saying former Cabinet Secretary Anne Waiguru should take responsibility for it,” said Mr Odinga.

The ODM leader accused Mr Ruto of blindfolding Kenyans by launching several projects across the country at the last minute in a bid to entice voters.

This was the second rally bringing together Mr Odinga and Mr Mudavadi, who have said they will unite opposition parties under the National Super Alliance.

Mr Mudavadi took a swipe at Jubilee over corruption and asked the government to carry its own cross and not try to divert attention by blaming the opposition.

“Corruption is endemic. Corruption is now Jubilee public policy. It is permissible to steal as much as possible. That is why Kenyans must know the country is bankrupt and another five years of Jubilee in power will be pure anarchy,” he said. 

The Amani leader said government borrowing was sinking the country into bankruptcy.

CREATE JOBS

“You borrow prudently to invest, create jobs and put money into people’s pockets. International lenders are running away, forcing government to borrow locally like an invading army.

“This is the reason interests rates haven’t dropped despite a legal cap and inflation has skyrocketed. Kenyans can’t afford to put basic food on the table any more,” said Mr Mudavadi.

Meanwhile, Wiper Democratic Movement leader Kalonzo Musyoka on Wednesday appeared to backtrack on the December 25 deadline set by the party for the Cord coalition to pick a presidential flagbearer.

Instead, Mr Musyoka said Cord must put its house in order, not “beyond May next year”, saying there were ongoing consultations going on bringing on board other parties.

“We are still talking and I ask you to be patient because these are delicate discussions. There is no secrecy but I can tell you nothing is on the table but there is no way that we can go beyond May without informing Kenyans and Cord supporters which way we are headed,” he said after a National Executive meeting at the party headquarters in Nairobi.

On the December deadline, Mr Musyoka said that “nothing was cast in stone.”

Suna East MP Junet Mohammed and his Sabatia counterpart, Mr Alfred Agoi, said Mr Ruto should tell Kenyans where he gets the millions he contributes in harambees every weekend.
Mr Mohammed said the DP earns a monthly salary of Sh1.5 million and contributes over Sh50 million every month.
Mr Agoi said the country was going in the wrong direction and asked Kenyans to vote in one accord to save it from Jubilee.
Mr Odinga’s tour came amid heated political debate with locals vowing to vote for him in 2017.
Residents argue that the ruling party has side-lined them despite their loyalty.
The tour also split local leaders, with Senator Kithure Kindiki blaming Governor Samuel Ragwa of secretly welcoming Mr Odinga.

PRESIDENTIAL FLAG BEARER

None of the local leaders attended the meeting apart from Gatunga MCA Muthengi Mubiu, who defected from the Kenya National Congress to ODM.

Locals who gave Mr Odinga a warm welcome promised to vote him in 2017 and handed him a memorandum highlighting their grievances including relocation of all national county offices from Chuka town to Kathwana.

Last month, the Wiper party said it would not budge on its stand to have the coalition choose its presidential flag bearer by December 25 this year, but Mr Musyoka said yesterday that “nothing was cast in stone.”

Mr Musyoka and his co-principals, ODM leader Raila Odinga, Ford Kenya’s Moses Wetang'ula are yet to agree on who among them will carry the presidential torch for next year’s August election, to face Jubilee, which will have President Kenyatta seek re-election, with Deputy President William Ruto as running mate.

It is the same team that beat Mr Musyoka, Mr Odinga and Mr Wetang'ula in 2013, and the coalition is said to be pulling all stops to ensure they are not beaten again.
The Wiper leader who was speaking after a National Executive meeting at party headquarters in Nairobi, also said that Mr Odinga had informed him that he was travelling to Laikipia with Amani National Congress (ANC) leader Musalia Mudavadi, and that he was expecting the ODM leader would “tell me what they discussed about.”

Mr Mudavadi has proposed that Cord considers the National Super Alliance, to improve chances of beating jubilee, which complicates further the process of picking a flag bearer, and the need to accommodate everyone, without causing cracks in the coalition.