Ask your Questions: Amani National Congress leader Musalia Mudavadi

In this interactive series, we invite readers to send questions to select public figures. This week, Amani National Congress leader Musalia Mudavadi responds to your questions.

Mheshimiwa, the National Super Alliance (Nasa) is your brainchild, but you have so far not clearly stated the salient manifesto of the group apart from emphasising how you are going to share key posts among party leaders. As a voter, kindly tell me how you will be different from the current government should your alliance come to power?

Komen Moris, Eldoret

What you’re calling sharing of posts is not our handwork but that of Jubilee propaganda artistes. Briefly, Nasa or Muungano Maalum, is not the traditional coalition of political parties. It is a vehicle to unite the Kenyan nation by building partnerships among communities/regions, political parties and other organised, and  informal groups including trade unions, business community and employers, civil society, self-help groups of communities, women and youth organisations, chamas, transport associations, religious organisations, and student organisations. This partnership seeks to provide democratic, transparent and inclusive governance that is accountable in the management of the economy and delivery of social services in accordance with the tenets of the devolution system of governance embedded in the 2010 Constitution. 

Nasa seeks to reclaim the country from Jubilee misrule and abdication of responsibility and collusion in overbearing runaway corruption, and dwindling state of Kenya’s economy through accountable, responsible and responsive leadership that will restore hope in government among Kenyans.

Mr Mudavadi, do you know the main undoing of the Western and Nyanza regions is that few people register as voters and fewer people vote and yet the areas have the numbers? What measures can be put in place to solve this problem?

Stephen Yeswa, Lurambi, Kakamega

Some of this is overstated to dampen the spirit of voters in those regions. There is a low intake on IDs and low voter turnout. But this is neither a perennial nor permanent or uniquely a western region occurrence. It is engineered. There is procrastination in ID issuance and a go-slow on registration of eligible voters. This is why Nasa has embarked on energising the base with mass action in voter registration. I appeal to supporters to register in numbers.

Can you look Kenyans in the eye and count one to three things you have done to enhance good governance and democracy apart from the art of coining names for political outfits?

Bernard Nyang’ondi, Mombasa

I’m not just good at creatively coining names that are fortified by deep reflection and impact, Bernard. I’m very pragmatic and practical. I’m good at building institutions that have enhanced good governance and democracy in our motherland. Flashback to the 1990s and you will find a young minister for Finance who presided over the liberalisation of the economy from State control. I rescued the country from a pariah status; it is I who cleaned up the Goldenberg scandal mess. I streamlined the financial sector by creating Central Bank independence. I safeguarded tax collection by establishing the Kenya Revenue Authority. It is I who expanded freedoms by presiding over liberation of the communication sector so that today you enjoy a variety of media outlets and even that mobile phone is a result of my work. Less than 10 years ago, it was Musalia who anchored devolution into laws that brought county governments. I worked under a very restrictive political environment, but I bravely did it. Kenyans also remember my role as a peacemaker under Kofi Annan following the 2007/2008 botched election and ensuing turmoil in our country. 

Mr Mudavadi, if you are successful in clinching the Opposition presidential ticket and you happen to win the Presidency, how will your leadership be different from the current one of Jubilee considering you’ve worked with them for long and what measures will you put in place to tame corruption?

Andrew Maranga Ratemo, Malindi

Ratemo, my first responsibility is to all Kenyans not to friend or foe. By now you must know my mien as a humble person ready to listen, consultative and predictable. That’s a trait I wouldn’t trade off. My leadership will be one of a partnership in trust between Kenyans and I. Incidentally, it is overstating to suggest that I’ve worked long with Jubilee fellows. Having an acquaintance isn’t the same as copying their traits. My disposition is far from who they are. We all know Jubilee is built and sustained by corruption. Without corruption, Jubilee will crumble. I, therefore, offer honesty, diligence and hard work. My forte is the economy; I want a decent life for every Kenyan. I’ll work extremely hard to restore faith and confidence that it pays to make an honest living without bribing or being bribed. That’s how we will be able to nab corruption in all its manifestations.

Since a boardroom deal as a method of choosing the Nasa presidential candidate is a risky experiment, would you please convince your colleagues to adopt proven and  time-tested methods like secret ballot in a delegates conference or reasonable sample-size broad opinion poll? 

Vincent Otieno Owino, Bondo, Siaya

You have to delicately weigh each process for its strengths and weaknesses, but have a keen eye on what Kenyans want. The method that will cement unity and prove efficient and credible is welcome. Indeed, keep in mind that Nasa is a broad coalition that encompasses entities other than political parties. But I’m sure your proposals will come in handy in our consultations.  

Will you shelve your interest if someone else is nominated to be the Nasa flagbearer? And are you willing to disband your political party Amani National Congress?

Vincent Nyamache, Homa Bay

Unlike Jubilee, no party is dissolving upon joining Nasa. This is a coalition. A team of teams. The issue shouldn’t be about who carries the flag as much as it is how do we win and win big. 

Kenyans see you as a politician with selfish interests for the following reasons: In 2002, when everyone had decamped from Kanu anticipating change under Narc, you remained put with President Moi and you were made the shortest ever serving vice-president. You finally joined ODM and shortly decamped alleging lack of internal democracy. In 2012 you were hoodwinked by Mr Kenyatta and Mr Ruto before you realised what was happening and formed UDF, which has changed to ANC and now Nasa. Then you have accepted to be crowned a Luhya spokesman by Mr Francis Atwoli and his brigade. Are these not enough to justify that indeed your politics is self-centred?

Bernard Nyang’ondi, Mombasa

I don’t hold the record of party-hopping in Kenya. But let me dissipate some deliberate distortions; contrary to propaganda, I neither declared nor was offered the presidential ticket in 2002. The choice to remain in Kanu was not just selfless but a courageous thing to do at that time. I didn’t join Narc because my sixth sense told me it was a marriage of selfish convenience that wouldn’t last. It came to pass. You also have the chronology of events leading to 2013 wrong. Against your misconceptions, I was a founding leader of ODM. I never “shortly decamped”, but left after a protracted struggle for a level playing ground in the presidential nominations. Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto didn’t “hoodwink” me but reneged on a legal agreement, which isn’t peculiar in Kenyan politics. Indeed more recently, they have reneged on electoral law amendments agreed between them and Cord. Earlier on, they did the same to teachers and have now disowned the Collective Bargaining Agreement with doctors. The problem is when we glorify deceit by leaders, Bernard. Victims of deceit shouldn’t be labelled villains.

As regards ANC, it wasn’t an offshoot of UDF because both existed separately before UDF dissolved into Jubilee. As to being sought for, there must be some attractive value when other leaders constantly seek you out.

In 2013 you were pushed by Boni Khalwale to join the presidential race. This time again Francis Atwoli seems to have picked up from where Dr Khalwale left. Why does it seem someone else is one who makes you go for it? What if Raila Odinga picks Kalonzo Musyoka as his running mate — will you support this?

Ronald Limo, Eldoret

Limo, you are caught up in misinformation about my presidential pursuit. I value the support of many Kenyans. It is Kenyans of goodwill and my conviction that Jubilee is mortgaging the country that drives my presidential ambitions. A little pre-2013 history should debunk the biases; I began my presidential expedition in 2007 against Raila (Mr Odinga) for the ODM ticket. In the lead up to 2013, I campaigned for the ODM ticket until it proved futile. In 2017, I made the decision to run again public way back after 2013 elections. We now have unveiled Nasa, all have signed a covenant to stay united and the decision on the flagbearer will be made amicably.

Are you happy to be imposed on the “Mulembe” (Western Kenya) people in a veiled assumption of bringing unity, yet there seems to be more divisions as we head towards elections? Why are you allowing Cotu Secretary General Francis Atwoli to bulldoze things instead of working with other leaders?

Erick ole Agade, Ikapolok, Malaba

I don’t know what “imposed” means in the context of the Bukhungu Declaration unless you’re suggesting I am not Mulembe myself. I am a Kenyan who belongs to a particular community and cannot deny that community the right to own, encourage, support and propose me for anything deserved. The “divisions” you’re referring to are a myth advanced by outsiders to incite us against each other. At Bukhungu (Stadium) my message was about solidarity to all people resident in western including the Teso and Sabaot communities. “I do not take these responsibilities and expectations lightly. I cannot do it alone. I need my brothers (Moses) Wetang’ula, (Cyrus) Jirongo, Eugene (Wamalwa) and all the other great children of Mulembe for this great journey. For this reason, we must agree today that we refuse to be used to abuse each other. In this journey, we must make our numbers count. We must vote for a reason, not for a promise”, I said and we cemented that resolve at the Nasa launch at Bomas when we told the country we are united as Mulembe leadership.

As someone who has served as Finance minister and as a leader aspiring to be the President, do you think Kenya’s taxation regime is punitive?

Njoroge Waweru, Kikuyu

Yes I do, especially if there isn’t value in terms of services offered. You’ve realised that almost every service sector is grounding to a halt. We have been overtaxed, over-borrowed and over-stolen. Carefully look at your water and electricity bill and notice half of the bill is tax. Even then, water trickles in once in a while and having electricity is guesswork. Equally, the bulk of your fuel cost is tax money. The insatiable appetite of Jubilee is being reflected in increased taxation of the informal sector and small-scale traders like the mama mbogas and jua kali artisans. In other words we’ve been lied to by the Jubilee government.

Mr Musalia Mudavadi, as one of the brains behind the creation of the Devolution system in our Constitution, what’s your opinion on the status of county governments; have they realised their objectives as per article 174 of the Constitution and what’s the greatest impediment facing counties so far? 

Andrew Maranga Ratemo, Malindi

Good question, Andrew. The experiment that is county governments today isn’t what I envisioned when crafting the laws. I saw them as economic incubation centres, not dens of devolved corruption. Neither did I anticipate that we would have a rogue regime bent on sabotaging rather than implementing devolution. The Constitution obliges national government to support county governments. One of the reasons I feel strongly that I should run for president is so that I can implement devolution as stipulated in the Constitution. 

Your star is rising. I have always maintained that you are a decent politician who will occupy the seat of power one day, God willing. What can you trace your character to? Could it be as a result of attending Nairobi School, which I gather was meant to produce gentlemen?

Githuku Mungai

It’s more about character moulding at the family level. The old man was a teacher by profession and a disciplinarian to boot. But I also realised very early that being decent costs nothing. That everyone’s opinion matters no matter how awkward it may sound.  Hence, my interest in the presidency has been as an opportunity to better the lives of fellow Kenyans. However on a lighter touch, I appreciate your noting that Nairobi School is a reservoir for gentlemen.

You were recently installed as Luhya spokesman and we saw some of the influential leaders from Western downplay your role and the manner in which the process was conducted, including claims that the organisers of the event were being used by Jubilee. Wouldn’t you have first concentrated on uniting all leaders of Western Kenya?

Charles Muchiri, Nairobi 

It wasn’t my event. I was invited and honoured. No one committed a criminal act. The rest is idle political prattle. 

After the launch of Nasa, don’t you think there will be divisions since both you and Ford Kenya leader Moses Wetang’ula want to be President and yet you come from the same community?

Mugambi Kariuki, Nairobi

Again why are “divisions” imagined only for the western region when we each show ambitions? How many candidates have run for presidency from the same community at the same time yet they have not been labelled as lacking unity? This narrative of disunity is imported and meant to bottle and dampen the ambitions and chances of presidential hopefuls from western. The conspiracy of “disunity” is a ploy deployed against the Luhya at every election cycle.

Sugarcane farming being the economic lifeline of Western Kenya, what strategy will you employ to ensure the industry survives the onslaught by cartels importing cheap sugar?

Raymond Masiga, Busia

I sometimes think there is a conspiracy to deny the region sustainable livelihoods so that the community is forever dependent on political handouts. I haven’t seen any serious intervention to invest in sustainable industries in the region. What has happened in the case of the sugar industry is token interventions seeking political support.

To be frank, the current state of sugar industry is unsustainable whether under government or in private sector hands. We have reached a quagmire unless we revisit the framework of farmer-factory relationship. To get going, we have to target the farmer to own the produce and negotiate good price. Introduce fast maturing varieties. Remove politically engineered and irrational licensing of competing factories within a small catchment area.

Some people think that you have not yet fully decided who you want to work with ahead of the August elections with suggestions that you could be a “spoiler”, especially in the Western region. What’s your take on this?

Francis Njuguna, Kibichoi

Those are idle minds you shouldn’t pay attention to. It’s illogical that I can go out of my depth to build a broad-based Nasa coalition of Kenyans and be a ‘spoiler’ at the same time. In any case who is this anointed one that I’m likely to “spoil” for?

Why do you think it is necessary now to form a broader coalition aimed at dislodging the current government from power yet previously you had shown interest of working with Uhuruto?

Raymond Masiga, Busia

Times change. The post-election cooperation agreement was like giving Jubilee a second chance to redeem itself. It failed. I realised I would be complicit in a rogue system and bailed out.

We know that Nasa and Cord are strong critics of Jubilee politicians like Aden Duale. As ANC party leader, would you welcome such Jubilee politicians if they fell out with President Kenyatta or Deputy President Ruto? Mugambi Kariuki, Nairobi

What defines humanity is the adage that character maketh a man or woman. Jesus didn’t curse His tormentors, He instead forgave them. Nelson Mandela broke bread with De Clerk after years of torment at Roben Island prison. Chinua Achebe said a child who has washed hands can eat with elders. It will depend on the character of the man Duale and what he would run away from. In Nasa, we seek to convert sinners.

Eyebrows were raised on your absence when the Opposition brigade addressed the media on the passage of the amended Electoral laws by the Senate last week. Do you speak the same political language with other Opposition leaders?

Vincent Nyamache, Homa Bay

Like my brother Raila, I was away. You cannot be everywhere all the time. Delegation is important. If you looked carefully, ANC Secretary General and Mr Sakwa Bunyasi (Nambale MP) were in attendance. Later, I spoke out against the mischief by Jubilee at an ANC National Executive Council press conference.

Mr Mudavadi, if the Western region votes as a bloc then the chances of Nasa carrying the day are high. What has prompted you to go for the union now, unlike in 2013, and what next for you if another candidate is picked by Nasa?

Austin Oduor Otieno

Exactly Austin, the more the merrier. But it’s more the concern of another five-year vandalism of Kenya by Jubilee. It’s scary! Very scary!

Kenya recently ratified the Paris Agreement on climate change which commits the country to reduce carbon emissions by 30 per cent before 2030. If elected president of Kenya what are you going to do to ensure Kenya abides to the signed climate change treaties?

Paul Mwari Maina, Nyeri

The Paris Agreement has inbuilt within it self-propelling protocols to which every signatory is obliged to implement. We may be too ambitious with a definite 30 per cent reduction. In our context, we barely make a percentage of world emissions yet our industrial base is dependent on inputs that are largely carbon dischargers. There is also the argument about loss of jobs for countries with delicate labour intensive economies. We will have to play a balancing act with national interest as the lever.

What in the most appropriate method or formula for the opposition to pick a single flag bearer to face Jubilee in the Presidential election?

Paul Gesimba, Nairobi

Like I told Vincent (in a previous question), there isn’t a standard formula at arriving at good results in politics. That doesn’t mean you break the law or lie. It’s a combination of factors some beyond the control of those in a boardroom. Nasa for instance is a peoples movement, you’ll have to convince them you’ve done the right thing otherwise they desert like droves. The right thing is move as a victorious team – each team member covering the weak flanks.  

You have been installed as a spokesman of the Luhyia nation. What are your plans for uniting the community?

Ouma Fredrick, Kisumu Town West

The journey already begun with Bukhungu Declaration which was solidified and affirmed at Bomas the other day. The Bukhungu Declaration must be understood in its context as a statement of the community on its needs and on how it wants to relate with other Kenyans. I’ve been blessed to hunt. And I promised at Bukhungu that I will reach out and seek consensus on many issues that affect the community. It is significant that Senator George Khaniri led other leaders in affirming the unity of the community at the Bomas NASA launch.

How do you intend to deal with those who will be hell bent in undermining you as the Luhyia Spokesman?

Githuku Mungai

The community will guide me on that. But I have a mandate to carryout and will not loss sleep on dissenters.

Sacrifice is the hallmark of true servant leadership. Mheshimiwa, if your new position as Luhyia community Spokesman ends up dividing the community, are you willing to relinquish this position to salvage unity?

Komen Moris, Eldoret

There seems to be pathological fear of the Luhya community politically putting its act together in some quarters. How can some responsibility tasked to an individual by the community divide the same community? The opposite is happening; a more united, resolute sense of purpose within the community is already emerging. Spokesman is a delegated duty by the community.

What are your expectations for Nasa in the August elections?

Ouma Fredrick, Kisumu Town West

A straight win. Nasa is what many Kenyans have been waiting for. I mooted Nasa, it isn’t meant for me. It is a huge tent for everybody who feels the country needs a new direction. Nasa is a ‘team of teams’, it’s potent, it’s real. Nasa is owned by the people now. NASA has emerged the better of the good formations that existed.