DP asks Western region to reject Azimio, vows to reward Mudavadi

Deputy President William Ruto yesterday asked residents of western Kenya to reject the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition Party and rally behind Amani National Congress leader Musalia Mudavadi and Ford-Kenya chief Moses Wetang’ula.

Speaking in Vihiga where he began a three-day tour of the region that has traditionally voted for ODM leader Raila Odinga, the DP, who is also the Kenya Kwanza Alliance (KKA) leader, said President Uhuru Kenyatta and the former Prime Minister could not be trusted, arguing that the two Handshake partners had reneged on their past promises to the region.

Addressing an economic forum in the county, the DP said Mr Mudavadi would be rewarded for shelving his presidential bid and for playing the role of a trusted leader.

For their part, Mr Mudavadi and Mr Wetang’ula revealed that they had negotiated for a 30 per cent stake in the government should Kenya Kwanza rise to power. The DP affirmed the two leaders’ sentiments.

“People have taken Mudavadi for a nobody, but they will soon know the bitter truth. Mudavadi is a gentleman who has a stand,” the DP said.

He added: “Very few leaders can do as he has done; sacrificing his ambition. Mudavadi has demonstrated that he can make sacrifices when called upon to do so.”

DP Ruto said the ANC leader sacrificed his presidential bid in favour of Mr Odinga in 2017 without expecting anything in return.

“Your (Mudavadi’s) sacrifice is going to pay off in our lifetime,” the DP said.

In what appeared to be concerted efforts to wrest the region from Mr Odinga’s political grip, the DP cast his boss, President Kenyatta, and the former Prime Minister as people who relied on deceit and blackmail in their quest for power.

He told the Luhya community that it has a solid leader in Mr Mudavadi who, together with Mr Wetang’ula, defied “blackmail” to work with him.

“The two made their own independent decision. We’ve agreed that this is the year we want to end rhetoric and blackmail,” the DP said.

Mr Mudavadi asked the community to walk with him in order to benefit from the 30 per cent power-sharing deal they had reached under the Kenya Kwanza umbrella. The ANC leader said the 30 per cent deal would apply to government positions in the Executive, the Judiciary and Parliament.

This, he explained, would see the community get 30 per cent of the 22 cabinet slots, 30 per cent of judicial appointments as well as 30 per cent of ambassadorial positions. The deal, he added, also covered appointments in all state agencies.

Mr Mudavadi added that the Kenya Kwanza team had endorsed the Luhya community to take over the leadership of Nairobi City County, which runs a budget of about Sh56 billion every year.

“I’m selfless. If you (the Luhya) are still in Azimio, ask them to tell us what our stake is,” he said.

The ANC leader said the decision to work with Ruto’s KKA was not for his personal gain but for the sake of the community.

“I want the community to be in government by supporting KKA. Let us drop Raila because we have carried him for many years,” he said.

Senator Wetang’ula said the Luhya community had been impoverished by the Jubilee administration. The Ford-Kenya chief expressed optimism that KKA would win the presidential election in August, arguing that Azimio was relying on a “non-existent” deep state.

“I have never been as confident and sure as I am this time. We have traversed this country. The Luhya have no stake in the so-called three-legged Azimio stool,” Mr Wetang’ula said.

He added: “Mudavadi and I have the capacity to seek the presidency but we know that unity is power and that is why we teamed up with Ruto.”

The KKA leaders will be in Kakamega today for an economic forum and then hold rallies in Butula, Vihiga and Ikolomani.

On Saturday, the team will be in Bungoma and in Busia on Sunday for similar events.

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