•Mudavadi needs partners for him to form the next government.
•The ANC leader has called on Luhya leaders to believe in themselves for the community to ascend to power
Image: HILTON OTENYO
Sacked Sports Cabinet Secretary Rashid Echesa has denied defecting to Musalia Mudavadi’s Amani National Congress party.
“I only told Mudavadi to stamp his authority as the region's kingpin and this is what I have been telling him all along," Echesa said and claimed he does not belong to any political party after resigning from Jubilee when he was named CS in accordance with the law.
He said his remarks on Saturday in connection with Mudavadi were taken out of context.
“I only told Mudavadi to stamp his authority as the region's kingpin and this is what I have been telling him all along. I gave my support to Musalia Mudavadi's 2022 presidential ambition and offered to find him coalition partners who would assist him to form the next government,” he said by phone yesterday.
"I cannot wake up and join ANC in a funeral. I'm not ready to engage in try and error politics," he said.
Cotu secretary general Francis Atwoli in December 2016 installed Mudavadi as the Luhya spokesman at Bukhungu Stadium.
He said Mudavadi needs other partners if he is to form the next government, and reminded him that attacking other leaders will not add value to his quest for power.
Echesa said during the burial of Mama Jescah Afandi in Mung’ang’a village in Mumias East that in Kenyan politics, people retreat to their respective communities and to negotiate with others and take power.
“I cannot be a supporter of another person. If anyone is interested, he or she should come and sit with Musalia [Mudavadi] together with us so that we can form the government together,” he said.
Yesterday, Echesa said Mudavadi should seek partnership for 2022 with leaders from other regions including Deputy President William Ruto.
He said the former Vice President will realise when it is too late to turn back that he is being misused by a section of the political leadership to attack DP William Ruto.
Mudavadi has said the time to support others was over and asked Luhya leaders to believe in themselves if the community is to ascend to power.
“I have supported others. I have supported former President Daniel Moi, President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga. In 2013 when I contested for the presidency, they said that I was spoiling for Raila. I formed Nasa in 2017 and backed him. There are no debts now,” he said.