- This book that he has just launched is volumes of lamentations
- This country will elect people who throw themselves into the mud and campaign viciously to acquire power.
Image: FILE
Musalia Mudavadi’s journey to political glory looks more bleak than bright.
He is the son of former powerful Cabinet minister Moses Mudavadi.
If you remember, he was picked from obscurity and made to succeed his father in a by-election in 1989.
He was appointed a Cabinet Minister at the youthful age of 28. He grew up under the wings of retired President Daniel Moi and was, in November 2002, appointed Vice President. He served as VP for just over 90 days.
All through, Mudavadi has always gotten it wrong. He joined President Uhuru Kenyatta in 2002, they lost together. He joined Raila Odinga, they lost together. He joined Raila Odinga one more time and yet again, they lost together.
He seems not to have made an impact beyond Western.
This is his strong base, but it has shrunk and he has gone from being a national leader to being a leader of the Maragoli community.
We have seen Moses Wetangúla chase him out of Bungoma. We have seen governors in his home county, Vihiga, his territory, being elected on other party tickets and not ANC.
In the November 7 Kibra by-election, his candidate performed very poorly. NASA, according to ODM chief, Raila Odinga, is dead. So where is Musalia Mudavadi? Retired President Kibaki misled him to believe he would back him against Uhuru Kenyatta in 2013. He lost badly.
In my view, 2022, demands that he comes out with a clear vision, it demands that he comes out with a clear stand. He should be a man who moves with a clear agenda. Otherwise, it might mark the end of his political career.
The book that he has just launched is full of lamentations. This country will never elect anybody who is lamenting. This country will elect people who throw themselves into the mud and campaign aggressively for the top job.
Mudavadi is a politician who thinks power should be handed to him on a silver platter. This cannot happen in Kenya anymore.
The way I look at him, he is a man who is waiting for a coronation or an installation. If he relies on this, he will fail badly. If he does not change his ways, he might not be a key player in 2022.
Danstan Omari, a Nairobi-based lawyer and political analyst spoke to the Star