Uhuru and Raila deal doomed, say Mudavadi and Kalonzo

ANC and Wiper leaders have laughed off the move by their affiliate ODM to enter  a pre-election alliance with President Uhuru Kenyatta's Jubilee Party.

The two parties have ruled out working with ODM again, even after Uhuru urged Opposition leaders to reunite to take on Deputy President William Ruto in 2022.

They wished Jubilee and ODM well with their plans, remarks that came barely a week after Uhuru declared that he will pick his 2022 successor from among the Nasa principals.

Raila Odinga (ODM), Kalonzo Musyoka (Wiper), Musalia Mudavadi (ANC) and Ford Kenya's Moses Wetang'ula came together and formed Nasa, a political vehicle they unsuccessfully used to unseat Uhuru in 2017.

Yesterday, Kalonzo said he will not back down on his stand on not working with ODM leader in 2022.

Speaking in Murang'a during a church service at Mary Ithanga Catholic Church, the former Vice President said he will not go back to deputising Raila. 

"We have a cooperation agreement between the Jubilee Party leader who is Uhuru Kenyatta and I am the Wiper party leader. I cannot go back [to working with Raila]," Kalonzo said.

Speaking to the Star on Sunday, Wiper and ANC leaders said the Jubilee-ODM coalition is dead on arrival and dismissed calls to join the formation.

They maintained that the coalition was inconsequential to the One Kenya Alliance which brings together ANC, Wiper, Ford Kenya and Kanu.

Deputy President Ruto on the other hand has indicated that he is ready to face the  Jubilee-ODM alliance.

Borabu MP Ben Momanyi told the Star that Wiper was not worried about the Uhuru-Raila 2022 pact, saying the Kalonzo-led party is not vulnerable to join the two handshake partners.

Momanyi said both Uhuru and Raila should prepare for a humiliating 2022 defeat if they continue their chest thumping and ignore One Kenya Alliance.

“Why should we express willingness to have us accommodated? Are we vulnerable? If Raila and Uhuru decide to go on their own way, where will they reach? I can tell you for sure if they go it alone they will lose,” Momanyi said.

He added: “Who told you the other three (Kalonzo, Musalia and Wetangula) cannot work with Deputy President William Ruto? In case they do, even a mad man knows what the outcome will be. Let them stop chest thumping, we are watching them.”

The Borabu lawmaker said it is time Raila reciprocated the support that he has been accorded by the other Nasa principals.

ANC deputy party leader Ayub Savula said they were not worried about Jubilee and ODM crafting an alliance ahead of 2022.

“Jubilee is just managing Raila because the truth is, Raila is a hard sell in Mt Kenya region. That is a fact,” the Lugari MP said.

He added that reports of Jubilee working on an alliance arrangement with ODM could be a ploy by the government side to manage the former prime minister in order to run the country effectively.

“We have been telling our party leader Musalia Mudavadi to remain in Opposition. We have urged him to criticise the government constructively while respecting the President. We want Mudavadi to have a working alliance with the President,” he stated.

Khwisero MP Christopher Aseka said it is the democratic right of ODM and Jubilee to form an alliance.

“As ANC, we are ready to face their candidate on the ballot. Our flag bearer is ready to face them with our support,” he stated.

He added that a union of the two would not be trusted by Kenyans. “ODM betrayed Nasa and the Deputy President William Ruto talks of being betrayed by Jubilee Party,” he explained.

On Friday, Jubilee secretary general Raphael Tuju said the ongoing talks are open to other political parties if they express an interest.

"In terms of an alliance, it must be an alliance of the willing. If other parties express interest we will have them on the table," he said.

According to Makueni MP Daniel Maanzo, Raila is about to commit political suicide by joining a coalition that is already on its deathbed.

The lawmaker told the Star that Uhuru’s Jubilee has joined the likes of Narc and PNU and will not add any value to ODM in next year’s polls.

“I dismiss it as illegal. Those four parties (ODM, Wiper, Jubilee and Ford Kenya) cannot form a coalition but cooperation. Jubilee has joined the league of Narc and PNU and ODM will not gain anything from such coalition,” Maanzo said.

The Wiper MPs’ sentiments came days after Kalonzo deflated the plan by Uhuru to have the Opposition politicians face 2022 in a joint ticket.

The Wiper leader last week declared that he would be “the most stupid person on earth” to play second fiddle to Raila whom he accused of being unappreciative of past support.

“It is unthinkable that I, Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka, would support Raila Odinga for the third time…. I would be the most stupid fellow on earth to go and support — for the third time — a presidential candidate without a measure of reciprocity,” said Kalonzo.

Savula maintained that the marriage between the five Nasa alliance partners is over and cannot be salvaged.

He said ODM should have re-started the reunion conversation with a public apology for the transgressions that it meted out on coalition partners.

But speaking to the Star, ODM national chairman John Mbadi did not rule out his party leader teaming up with Kalonzo in 2022, insisting that a lot will happen before the next election.

“That is his opinion and in politics things change and people come to terms with reality on the ground. When the right time comes, we will enter into negotiations with parties; each candidate’s chances will be weighed on various parameters of winning an election that includes popularity on the ground,” he said.

“Winning an election is not about emotions but numbers. If we reach that time of negotiations and he (Kalonzo) is ready for talks we will put all these factors on the table in coming up with a winning formula.”

Yesterday, Savula noted that ANC would convene a meeting with other Nasa affiliates with the view of taking over parliamentary leadership should ODM enter into a pre-election alliance with Jubilee.

“The moment they put ink on paper, I will convene a meeting of ANC, Wiper and Ford Kenya with the purpose of sharing parliamentary slots. We will tell them to cross over because they will be deemed to have joined government,” he added.

Savula said Nasa failed largely because of breach of trust by some principals after the 2017 election.

He said unilateral decisions by some coalition members to enter into programmes and arrangements with other parties without consulting resulted in the collapse of Nasa.

“CCM left the coalition and are now actively engaged with other partners. ODM went for the handshake without involving other core parties,” he explained.

He further pointed out the refusal by ODM to share resources from the Political Parties Fund as another reason.

“ODM has further demonstrated bullish behaviour by orchestrating removal of Leader of Minority in the Senate Moses Wetang'ula, orchestrated the removal of the Deputy Leader of Minority in Senate Cleophas Malala and National Assembly Minority Whip Chris Wamalwa,” he added.

Edited by Henry Makori