Not too late for Mudavadi to salvage political future
ANC leader MUsalia Mudavadi, a member of William Ruto's Kenya Kwanza Alliance.
I write you this open letter in belief that it finds you robust of health. As your ardent supporter since your days in ODM and UDF, I have keenly observed your politics and concluded that you are the real deal. You are a fine gentleman—but probably too refined for Kenyan politics.
A diehard William Ruto supporter will wish for the Son of Sugoi’s presidency but, in the event that it doesn’t happen, they can easily settle on you. The “enemy” of their camp is Raila Odinga. Similarly, a Raila diehard will wish the son of Kang’o Ka Jaramogi becomes president but will easily settle on you as an option. Here, one man who must not win is Ruto; but a Mudavadi presidency is very much okay.
Former Vice-President. Deputy Prime Minister. Sabatia MP. You occupy a vintage position in Kenyan politics. But Archbishop Desmond Tutu taught us that, in situations of injustices, observing neutrality amounts to choosing the side of the oppressor.
At the heart of Kanu
Ruto, the flagbearer in your coalition, Kenya Kwanza, was at the heart of Kanu when the party ruthlessly trampled on human rights of the citizenry. Yet Azimio’s Raila was one of the faces of the struggle for pluralism, which birthed multipartyism and the current Constitution, opening up political space.
In that case, your political home is, by default, Azimio and not Kenya Kwanza. You too may have been part of Kanu but, for associating with the right team for over a decade, salvaged your reputation.
Even when you call Raila “Mzee wa kitendawili”, we see you struggling; your DNA is deficient of an inborn audacity to insult. They have taught you tabia mbaya (bad manners). You are better off riding the same train as Mama Martha Karua, in a cavalcade whose message is themed more on nationalism than anger at some quarters. You don’t fit there.
In the formative days of Kenya Kwanza, it appeared it was an indomitable juggernaut; so, it was understandable that your choice of the camp was inspired by the fear of the scathing cold of the political Siberia. But things have changed. The DP is coming off as an Icarus. The son of Daedalus, of the Greek mythology, flew too high, too close the sun, where his borrowed wings melted in the heat, making him to free-fall back to the hard earth’s surface.
Abbots of the vice
Again, the few instances you have been accused of corruption makes you a pale shadow of the Kenya Kwanza honchos, mostly comprising the abbots of the vice. You look out of place. Besides, your Western backyard leans towards Azimio. In 2002, you misread the signs of the time, quitting LDP to return to Kanu. It took you time to recover. Don’t risk it again.
Lastly, what has Kenya Kwanza to offer, in terms of your political ambitions? In the unlikely event that Ruto wins, he could be president for 10 years and his DP, Rigathi Gachagua, for another 10. By the 2042 elections, the 1960-born you will be 82!
Azimio had better prospects. Raila being older, there will be jostling for positions within the coalition in 2027. Again, the 70 per cent you were told to deliver for the Chief Secretary cake is unrealistic.
It’s not too late to reconsider your decision—unless you are on political self-destruct mode.
Mr Thuranira is a political analyst. [email protected].
