Why Raila, Mudavadi are in all-out war

The political row between ODM leader Raila Odinga and his ANC counterpart Musalia Mudavadi has rekindled memories of their acrimonious 2012 split that gave Jubilee an easy ride to power.

The two leaders have been constantly trading political blows exposing the deepening rivalry that analysts link to the 2022 succession battle and control of the crucial Western Kenya vote bloc.

The contest over the Kibra parliamentary by-election, the fight over ODM’s Sh6.2 billion political parties cash and claims by Musalia that Raila was blackmailed into the handshake are the latest triggers to the falling out.

“Musalia is trying to assert himself and improve his image as a political fighter. He has for a long time been overshadowed by Raila and that tends to make him look week. He is fighting to look solid and presidential,” university don Prof Macharia Munene told the Star.

Macharia said Mudavadi’s new strategy of taking Raila head-on will improve his chances of being president as the battle for the Luhya vote heats up.

In an interview with the Star, Sabatia MP Alfred Agoi, a close Mudavadi ally, said “ODM's bitterness” was born out of Mudavadi's surging dominance in Western.

 “They (ODM) have panicked because they have realised that Mudavadi's strategy is locking them out of Western Kenya. This time around, the Luyha nation will speak in one voice and loudly so,” he said.

ODM, on the other hand, has dismissed Musalia as a political lightweight. Secretary general Edwin Sifuna is calling for the immediate dissolution of Nasa, the virtually nonexistent coalition of which ANC is a member.

“When Mudavadi comes back from the US, he should be the first person to sign the dissolution agreement and forward it to (Ford Kenya leader) Moses Wetang'ula and then to us, so that we can formally disengage. We are no longer in coalition. We are not friends. Why should we pretend?” he said.

Western, Mudavadi’s backyard, voted overwhelmingly for Raila in the last three elections but has lately become a hunting ground for Deputy President William Ruto.

The latest statements from the two sides have signalled what appear to be irreconcilable differences ahead of the 2022 polls, although, as they say, in politics one day is a long time.

On Thursday, Mudavadi’s foot soldiers launched a blistering attack on Raila, claiming he is dancing on the graves of the poor who died during post-2017 skirmishes.

ANC secretary general Barack Muluka claimed Raila has mastered the trick of using people, including their lives, for his personal political gain.

“What was this handshake thing about, if some people are today hobnobbing with power while others wallow in exile? The truth is that the so-called 'swearing in' was an unfortunate dive into a depraved dark hole. It has been totally devoid of any redeeming value, except selfish personal aggrandisement. The owners continue to dance on the graves of the poor who died for nothing,” Muluka claimed.

Muluka's response was triggered by an equally hard-hitting statement by ODM secretary general Sifuna who claimed Mudavadi is a coward and a political opportunist.

“In subsequent years, Mr Mudavadi has perfected the philosophy of the so-called 'safe pair of hands'  waiting like the proverbial hyena who waited for a man's hands to fall,” Sifuna said.

He made the comment after Musalia claimed in the US that Raila took the handshake route because of the visa ban blackmail by superpowers.

Yesterday Osotsi, Mudavadi' ally turned foe, told the Star that he was embarrassed with the ANC leader's "reckless" statements.

Osotsi said that Mudavadi was equally a beneficiary of the handshake who should not turn around to feign ignorance.

“Mudavadi was among the leaders who were facilitated by the government, courtesy of the handshake, to launch the Huduma Number,” he said.

Mudavadi was Raila’s right-hand man in the 2017 polls and served as the chairman of Raila’s presidential campaign.

The latest quarrel rekindles a similar falling out in 2012 as Mudavadi quit ODM to contest for the presidency, allegedly with the backing of then State House operatives close to ex-President Mwai Kibaki.

Mudavadi came a distant third, with Raila thrashing him in all Western counties except his backyard of Vihiga.

Musalia is fronting Raila’s ex-aide Eliud Owallo for the Kibra by-election against ODM’s Imran Okoth.

The contest has also widened the rift between the two parties with Musalia rubbishing ODM 's claims that Kibra is its "bedroom",

“Kibra cannot be anyone’s doormat as is being suggested. Nor is it anyone’s private property, their house or their bedroom,” Musalia said shortly after landing back from a 10-day trip to the US.

“Owalo and ANC represent freshness and renewal in a constituency that has for far too long been taken for granted. No constituency should be treated as if it was a doormat or an instrument in someone’s hands,” he added in a statement seen as targeting Raila.

Kibra has been Raila’s foremost political bedrock and he represented the area for more than two decades as MP.

But the latest bone of contention is the political parties windfall that ODM has said it will not share with any of the other three Nasa affiliate parties. In addition to ANC and Ford Kenya, it includes Kalonzo Musyoka's Wiper.

ODM expects at least Sh6.2 billion from the Exchequer.

Sifuna said the 'partners' have betrayed, back-stabbed and disrespected ODM and insisted that the coalition should be dissolved.

 “Even a girlfriend or slay queen must take care of the boyfriend for her to be given money for rent. You cannot abuse a sponsor and you still want his money. These people refused to come for [Raila's] swearing-in. Today Musalia attacked the handshake and they are fielding a candidate in Kibra. Are those people you can give your moneyto ?" Sifuna posed.

Last week, the Registrar of Political Parties Anne Nderitu declared that the Raila Odinga-led party is not under any obligation to share its political parties cash with coalition partners.

Already Mudavadi has lost a section of his allies from Western Kenya to the Raila camp, among them Kakamega Senator Cleopas Malala and nominated MP Geoffrey Osotsi.

The two politicians have become Raila's key lieutenants from Western in what has dealt Mudavadi a huge political blow in his efforts to ring-fence the region

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