Mudavadi and Uhuru battle for Kibaki vote

The two deputy prime ministers, Uhuru Kenyatta and Musalia Mudavadi, are engaged in an increasingly bitter duel as both move to capture President Kibaki’s large central Kenya vote basket.

Mr Mudavadi’s numerous campaign forays into the central Kenya heartland are provoking the ire of Mr Kenyatta’s strategists, who are getting increasingly suspicious that President Kibaki is encouraging encroachment into what they take as their secure turf.

Suspicion started

Suspicion started immediately Mr Mudavadi abandoned Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s ODM to take up the presidential flag for the United Democratic Forum (UDF), a party that bears the imprint of key State House strategists and power-brokers, including the President’s personal secretary, Mr Nick Wanjohi.

Mr Kenyatta is running for the presidency on his own party, The National Alliance (TNA), and is already seen to have the central Kenya vote sewn up.

Mr Mudavadi’s campaigns in central Kenya are largely driven by two key UDF leaders, Ndaragwa MP Jeremiah Kioni and Planning assistant minister Nderitu Muriithi, who also happens to be President Kibaki’s nephew.

However, the two are just the public faces of what appears to be a much larger effort controlled by some of President Kibaki’s key strategists, including the wealthy and powerful informal group of advisers loosely referred to as the “Muthaiga Club”.

Leaders from central Kenya approached by the Nation over the past few days were divided on the impact of the UDF campaigns in the region.

Mr Kioni, formerly a staunch supporter of Mr Kenyatta, insisted that in a changed political landscape it would not be prudent for central Kenya to vote only for one of their own to succeed the President.

“Voting as a bloc won’t be good for central Kenya. We need unity of purpose and not unity of tribe,” he said.

Mr Kioni goes ahead to liken the political rivalry between Mr Kenyatta and Mr Mudavadi to two poles — north and south — which, he said, should come together to form a winning team in the next elections.

However, assistant minister Kabando wa Kabando, who initially identified with UDF, differed with Mr Kioni.

He argued that Mr Kenyatta’s decision to support President Kibaki in 2007 and his standing up to Mr Odinga has won him the support of his home region.

“For dropping Kanu, and deciding to work with President Kibaki, and for showing he has support especially among minority communities, Uhuru has won the hearts of most residents of central Kenya.

“Uhuru’s strong open challenge to ODM’s Raila Odinga, has bolstered his grip of Kibaki strongholds, including Central, Upper Eastern, and Coast,” said the Mukurweini MP.

The International Criminal Court case against Mr Kenyatta, said Mr Kabando, has also bolstered the grip of the TNA presidential aspirant in the region. (READ: Courts could alter race for the State House)

Others also to be tried for the post-election violence are Eldoret North MP William Ruto, who is with Mr Kenyatta in the G7 Alliance, former Civil Service boss Francis Muthaura and radio presenter Joshua Sang.

Mr Kioni agrees that central Kenya stands together on the ICC issue, but denies that translates to automatic support for Mr Kenyatta’s presidential bid.

Mr Mudavadi’s increasingly aggressive campaign in the region is being spearheaded by a group of elders from the Kikuyu and Luhya communities.

The Kikuyu elders fronting Mr Mudavadi are led by Mr Simon Wachira Kiago while their Luhya counterparts are led by former assistant minister and chairman of the defunct Interim Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IIEBC), Mr Andrew Ligale.

On Sunday, Mr Ligale confirmed that they were talking with their counterparts from the Kikuyu community.

“We have had meetings with Kikuyu elders led by Mr Kiago. Our aim is to unite not the two communities, but all the Kenyan communities for the sake of the country’s unity and stability. The issue of fronting a particular candidate is just secondary,” he explained.

Mr Mudavadi has sought to win the hearts of central Kenya voters by promising to ensure that President Kibaki enjoys his retirement without any disturbance. He also argued that he lost his Sabatia seat in the 2002 elections for supporting Mr Kenyatta’s State House bid.

Now he wants Mr Kenyatta to return the favour. This has triggered an angry tirade from Mr Kenyatta and his allies, who asked Mr Mudavadi to focus on issues instead of dwelling on the past.

But whereas President Kibaki has not publicly endorsed a successor, Mr Kenyatta’s camp is understood to be angry that powerful figures close to State House are behind Mr Mudavadi.