Cord leadership dispute deepens

The leadership dispute in Cord deepened on Tuesday after ODM MPs accused Ford Kenya leader Moses Wetang’ula of carrying out a campaign of personalised attacks against their party boss, Mr Raila Odinga.

Both Mr Wetang’ula and Wiper Leader Kalonzo Musyoka are reported to be unhappy with a proposal by ODM legislators that Mombasa Governor Ali Hassan Joho should be Mr Odinga’s running mate in next year’s presidential elections.

On Tuesday, three MPs; Florence Mutua (Busia woman rep), Andrew Toboso (Butere) and Fred Outa (Nyando) hit out at Mr Wetang’ula and said that they would ensure he is not endorsed as the Opposition coalition’s presidential candidate.

At the weekend, Mr Wetang’ula, the Senate Minority Leader, asked Mr Odinga to endorse either him or Mr Musyoka as the Cord flagbearer.

Responding to Mr Wetang’ula, who had said that Mr Odinga should back someone else because he had failed in past attempts, Ms Mutua said that while ODM was the biggest of the Cord parties, Mr Musyoka and Mr Wetang’ula have been given equal status with Mr Odinga.

“We have been very supportive to our partners so it amazes us that they can say this about our party leader. Kibaki Tosha was the last endorsement (Raila) did and we are not expecting any other from him because he is our presidential candidate,” she said.

‘TRY ELSEWHERE’

Speaking to Ford Kenya supporters in Narok, Mr Wetang’ula said: “In marriage in my local community, if you have a beautiful wife and after first, second and third month in marriage there is no baby, her aunties will come and ask her to try elsewhere with another man and then you see the woman becoming pregnant. When she gives birth nobody will know that is not your child.

“Now that we have tried with Raila and seen nothing, we are asking him that he is our elder. We don’t disrespect him. But we are telling him that now that he is our elder he will have a special place in the Cord government. But be the king maker. King makers in most occasions are even better that the king himself.”

The statement did not go down well with Mr Odinga’s allies who on Tuesday accused Mr Wetang’ula of demeaning the ODM leader.

On Tuesday, however, Mr Wetang’ula denied demeaning Mr Odinga. He said that his call to Mr Odinga to either support him or Mr Musyoka was neither blackmail nor offending.

“Raila has asked me and Kalonzo on many occasions to back him. When anyone of us asks Raila to back us, it is seen in different light by ODM MPs. There is nothing offending in it,” he said.

While stating that Cord would pick a single presidential candidate despite the differences, Mr Wetang’ula urged Mr Odinga to rein in his MPs.

‘DON’T DISRESPECT’

“I would encourage my brother Raila to ensure his MPs don’t disrespect his coalition partners. We also have MPs and we have restrained them from making such statements,” he said.

Mr Toboso accused Mr Wetang’ula of selfishness.

“It is being selfish to imagine that unless it is you being endorsed then no other person should run for President,” said the MP.

Mr Omulele said he was outraged by Mr Wetang’ula’s statement.

“It was in bad taste and beneath the esteem I have previously held him (Mr Wetang’ula). He should know better than that. These wife allegories and idioms may come back to haunt him,” said the Luanda MP.

Mr Outa said that being a coalition, the three parties should work to strengthen each other and not to bring down other candidates.

“It does not augur well to attack any party leader in Cord. Our enemies are Jubilee ... We should ensure each party in our coalition is strengthened before we nominate our presidential flagbearer in a democratic process,” said the Nyando MP.

Cord coalition partners have engaged each other in heated exchanges in recent weeks, raising questions over whether the coalition will go to the next elections as a team.

But on Tuesday, Mr Wetang’ula said that all was well in Cord and that the search for its flagbearer was a “work in progress”.

“Raila, Kalonzo and I are talking on who should carry the Cord flag,” said Mr Wetang’ula, who said he was speaking on behalf of the coalition.

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Wiper, ford-k fail to see eye-to-eye

At the weekend, Wiper leaders said Cord must name its presidential candidate by Christmas.
They also warned ODM against creating the impression that it was ready to go into the next elections without its coalition partners.
On Tuesday, however, Mr Wetang’ula dismissed the ultimatum.
“We named (President Mwai) Kibaki as the Narc presidential candidate just about two months to the elections, and we still floored Kanu. Such a tsunami is coming in the form of Cord in 2017,” said the senator.