Sabatia MP Alfred Agoi has said ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi teamed up with Deputy President William Ruto because he did not have money to run a presidential campaign.
Agoi said Mudavadi has been in political cold for long and could not have managed to fight for the top seat between Ruto and ODM leader Raila Odinga who are using the government kitty.
“Deputy President William Ruto has an allocation in his office that can help him run his presidential campaign. Raila is now leaning towards President Uhuru Kenyatta, but Mudavadi has nowhere,” Agoi said.
“So there was no way Mudavadi could have managed to face off these two people on the ballot with government resources."
Mudavadi, while speaking in a past event in Vihiga, decried poverty in Western region, saying it was the major reason why they cannot produce a president.
“Presidential campaigns are too expensive. We must be financially fit to support our presidential candidate in order to clinch that seat,” Mudavadi said.
“In Mt Kenya region people fund, but here we can’t fund because of the high rate of poverty we always look at what that presidential candidate will give me,” he added.
Mudavadi said the collapse of Mumias Sugar factory, Pan Paper and Nzoia Sugar factory were the key factors fuelling poverty in the region.
The ANC boss said they had to team up with Ruto after Raila failed to honour the 2017 deal under Nasa.
“We had agreed with Raila to support Mudavadi in the 2022 general election, but he instead decided to dissolve Nasa as a way to evade the deal,” Agoi said.
The lawmaker said despite helping ODM to elect Governor Wilber Ottichilo, Raila has ignored Vihiga as a whole.
“If Raila was a true friend, he could have shared the goodies he received from the handshake deal,” he said.
Agoi said those who quit from the ANC should prepare for a time in political cold after the August 9 polls.
(edited by Amol Awuor)
