- Are Uhuru and Raila planning to jointly back Musalia Mudavadi?
- The Rift between Kenyatta and his Deputy has been growing by the day
Image: PSCU
President Uhuru Kenyatta rarely attends football matches.
But last Sunday he showed up at Moi International Sports Centre to watch a lacklustre Mashemeji derby between arch-rivals AFC Leopards and Gor Mahia FC.
What has fueled speculation is the company Uhuru kept on Sunday. First he went for the Beyond Zero marathon organised by his wife Margaret. Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka and Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua joined him.
Previously, Deputy President William Ruto has participated in the race with his wife Rachel. Last Sunday they were conspicuously missing.
Ruto has been on the warpath with the DCI George Kinoti whom he has accused of being used to bring him down as tension between him and the President continues to grow.
Later in the afternoon the head of state went to Kasarani to watch a football match.
ODM leader Raila Odinga was on his left and the two kept talking and laughing through out the match.
Next to Raila was ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi who was dressed in AFC Leopards colours.
The pictures of the three watching the boring match that Gor won 1-0 when DP Ruto was in Meru complaining how his friends were being victimised and threatened for associating with him, sent tongues wagging.
What are the three up to? Why did they make a public appearance together? Has Mudavadi kissed and made up with Raila after the fiasco of Raila’s swearing in? Is there a new alliance in the making that involves the three?
The Star has spoken to multiple sources around the three leaders and learnt that the trio have began working on a possible political arrangement ahead of 2022.
Kenyatta is constitutionally barred from running for President again in 2022 because he would have served his two five-year terms.
Cotu sectary general Francis Atwoli has, however, suggested that Uhuru, 58, is too young to retire and should take another senior position in the next government.
Raila on the other hand has not stated if he will be on the ballot for the fourth time even though he has been traversing the country in the name of gathering views for the Building Bridges Initiative.
Some of his ODM party members expect him to go for the presidency again.
But people close to Kenyatta believe that the President doesn’t want Raila to contest and instead join him in supporting Mudavadi.
“He believes that if he, Raila and Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka are together in one coalition with Mudavadi as the presidential candidate they will win elections,” said a senior State House official.
Although Mudavadi is not in government, Kenyatta has quietly been sending him to places and the two have also made unexplained public appearances.
“We are working with President Kenyatta and Raila in the Building Bridges Initiative. We will then decide what political arrangement we will be in when the time comes. One person I’m sure Mudavadi will not make a deal with is William Ruto,” said Lugari MP Ayub Savula.
On December 13 last year President Kenyatta and Mudavadi flew to Garissa for a presidential function.
The ANC leader’s presence at the commissioning of Modika Barracks and launch of Soldier’s Legacy, a book documenting the 55-year history of the Kenya Army and the soldiers who stood at the front line to defend Kenya, was quite telling.
On the eve of that function, Kenyatta had met Mudavadi at his palatial home next to State House where they had discussions for more than three hours.
In April last year Mudavadi attended the launch of Huduma Namba registration in Kajiado as Uhuru rallied Kenyans to enlist.
In March last year, the two leaders spent one hour alone at Karen Country Club before they attended the closing ceremony of Kenya Open.
Former Jubilee vice chairman David Murathe who hosted Mudavadi in his home last November for more than seven hours told the Star yesterday that anything was possible.
“Kenyatta and Mudavadi are not strangers. They have known each other for years. Mudavadi stepped down for Kenyatta in 2002 and they almost formed a new coalition on 2013. So they have a history and because of that anything is possible,” said Murathe.
The former Finance minister has also been attending BBI Rallies that are led by Raila where he has expressed his support for the initiative.
The three leaders could be using the latest census results to draw their new political coalition.
Although Rift Valley region, which is controlled by Ruto, is the most populous with a total population of 12,752,966, the second region with the highest population is Raila's Nyanza with a population of (6,269,579).
Nyanza is followed closely by Eastern region with a population of (6,093,172) while Central is the fourth most populous region with a total population of (5,482,239).