Cord leader Raila Odinga could have it rough in Western in 2017, if Musalia Mudavadi and Moses Wetang’ula decide to run for President, former Medical Services Minister Amukowa Anangwe has said.
Mudavadi is the ANC leader, while Wetang’ula is the Ford Kenya leader.
Wetang’ula launched his presidential bid on April 2, in Kakamega.
The launch, however, turned chaotic due to differences between ODM and Ford Kenya coalition partners. Raila skipped the event. Raila’s close allies in ODM believe he can still control the Western bloc without Wetang’ula.
Anangwe yesterday said Wetang’ula’s departure from Cord would epitomise the decline of Raila’s fortunes in Western, particularly in Bungoma and Trans Nzoia counties.
“Going forward, Raila’s tally in Luhya land in the 2017 presidential race is destined to dwindle to an all-time low of less than 40 per cent,” he said in a phone interview. He said Wetang’ula joined Cord in 2012 to fill the void left by Mudavadi when he left ODM to launch his presidential bid on a UDF ticket.
Anangwe said Wetang’ula’s entry in Cord made a difference when Raila beat Mudavadi in Bukusu land in the March 4, 2013, presidential race. “Should Wetang’ula leave Cord, Raila will remain with a few pockets of support in Kakamega and Busia, where his sidekicks like Wycliffe Oparanya and Ababu Namwamba are already under siege from allied anti-Cord political formations,” he said. Anangwe said recent Infotrack opinion polls are already painting a gloomy picture for Raila in Western. He said Jubilee needs to “pull up its socks”, if it is to triumph in Western. “Whether or not such an eventuality will come to pass, will depend on how effective and organised his political opponents, especially President Uhuru Kenyatta, will be in chipping away his declining support in Western,” he said.
