Amani National Congress Leader Musalia Mudavadi has asked President Uhuru Kenyatta and Cord Leader Raila Odinga to both drop out of the presidential race and instead declare “Mudavadi tosha”.
Mudavadi made his request as President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto were scheduled to hold a massive rally at Afraha Stadium in Nakuru to cement the Jubilee alliance and launch their 2017 campaign.
Mudavadi said he had supported the two before and it was now appropriate that the two returned the favour.
“It is curious that they want my support all the time. Why can’t they support me too?," he asked.
“I’m a safe pair of hands that the country needs, especially now because both sides are polarizing the country,” said Mudavadi.
He said Kenya was getting tired of the divisive politics being played by both Jubilee and Cord.
Mudavadi, the quintessential gentleman of Kenyan politics, has launched his 2017 bid in earnest by touring across the country.
This weekend, the former land economist will be in populous Bungoma county. He is expected to end up in Tongaren, home area of Moses Wetangu’la where he is expected to tell off the Ford Kenya leader.
Wetang’ula has launched his bid for the Cord ticket and has asked Mudavadi to join him to unite the Luhya vote behind one candidate and boost the chances of a Luhya becoming president.
Mudavadi has been Vice-President in the late days of the Moi regime before becoming ODM Deputy Leader and Deputy Prime Minister in President Kibaki's coalition government.
He now want to make a second bid for the top job although he only got 3.9 percent in the 2013 presidential election, way behind Uhuru and Raila but ahead of the other alternative candidates.
His supporters consider him a sober, moderate and non-combative politician.
The front runners for 2017 are Raila Odinga and Uhuru Kenyatta who got 26 and 45 percent respectively in the recent Infotrak poll on presidential preferences.
But Mudavadi could have a key role to play should there be a run-off.
The soft-spoken politician is often accused of being indecisive but recently he has tried to shed that image by strongly criticizing both government and opposition.
Mudavadi considers himself a viable alternative to the two mainstream parties, Jubilee and Cord.
He claims Jubilee is corrupt and ODM and Cord are incompetent.
"Jubilee has ran the country badly with huge unsustainable debts. Raila and his team are not offering any serious alternatives. This country needs sober, competent and well focused leaders," he said.
In his interview with the Star yesterday, Mudavadi took issue with ODM supporters for asking him to abandon his bid in favour of Raila.
“He has had his time and I supported him before. Let him pay back,” Mudavadi said.
He rejected calls by Raila that they join hands before the 2017 general elections.
Mudavadi, the shortest serving Vice President in Kenya’s history, said it would be better if the ODM leader endorsed him.
“Why do they want me to join them? Why can’t they come and join me? I’m the man Kenya needs,” said Mudavadi.
He did not dismiss the idea of a coalition with either President Kenyatta or Raila.
”We are not averse to coalitions. However, we will only consider coalitions which are genuine and aim to serve national interests,” he said.
Mudavadi's Luhya community backed Raila in 2007 and in 2013 and his bid, could again chip way Raila's support in the region.
Mudavadi was briefly wooed in 2012 by Jubilee Alliance at one point it appeared that he might even be the presidential candidate. But he dropped out when it became clear that he would only be a sideshow in the Uhuru-Ruto line-up.
Musalia Mudavadi entered politics in 1989, aged 29, when he was persuaded to quit his practice as a land economist to take up his late father Moses Mudavadi's seat as an MP for Sabatia in western Kenya.
Mudavadi was appointed to the Cabinet soon after he won the by-election because of his father's close ties with President Moi.
He served in key positions, including Finance minister between 1993 and 1997 when the Goldenberg scandal erupted. Although it began under his predecessor George Saitoti, Mudavadi was accused of approving further payments to Kamlesh Pattni, the brains behind the scam.
Yesterday Mudavadi said he not only followed the law but he in fact stopped the swindle.