Mudavadi plays hard to get in Uhuru unity bid

ANC boss Musalia Mudavadi has refused to play ball in President Uhuru Kenyatta's unity efforts to bring together the bickering Nasa chiefs.

This even as the Deputy President William Ruto lashed out at the opposition chiefs for "hijacking" the President with their 2022 agenda, preoccupying him with reunion requests.

Musalia has maintained a hard line position on his 2022 presidential ambitions and looks set for a run next year.

It has emerged, however, that Wiper Leader Kalonzo Musyoka's hostile relationship with Raila is thawing and a deal is possible.

Sources said Raila -a key cog in Uhuru's succession matrix - could have quietly agreed to release a share of the millions from the political parties fund to Kalonzo's Wiper.

Uhuru is said to have held lengthy talks with Kalonzo on Friday, adding onto the pressure by Ukambani governors for the opposition to unite.

However, Musalia has maintained his intransigence that rekindles memories of his 2013 solo presidential run.

He has been attending church services as part of his plan to market his 2022 presidential candidature, signaling his bid to chart his own path.

On Sunday, ANC deputy party leader Ayub Savula said Musalia is focusing on his 2022 presidential campaigns.

“Musalia is going to run for president and he is going all the way to the ballot,” declared the ANC second in command.

President Uhuru is keen on having the country's main opposition leaders, who ran under the Nasa coalition in the 2017 polls, work as a team in order to enhance their chances against Ruto.

There are fears that if the opposition leaders fail to unite then they will give Ruto a field day next year.

Musalia's allies want him to walk out of Nasa, saying the alliance had outlived its purpose.

Kakemaga Senator Cleopas Malala said Nasa died when Raila joined the Jubilee government through the handshake.

“We had a marriage in the name of Nasa but along the way, our husband (referring to Raila) got himself another wife without telling us and left us on the roadside. We now don’t want this marriage,” said Malala.

ODM secretary general Edwin Sifuna said the party will work with other partners but ruled out reviving Nasa, saying unless the Nasa agreement is renewed, ODM will field a presidential candidate.

“There is absolutely no goodwill from the other partners to renew the Nasa agreement. We will proceed and work with partners outside Nasa. Nasa is dead and cannot be revived,” declared Sifuna.

Musalia has intensified his 2022 campaigns, railing Raila as a dishonest and untrustworthy politician who never honours any political deals.

The hostilities between Raila and Musalia have dimmed any hopes of a reunion.

Musalia has ruled out working with Raila again unless he agrees to a political agreement which locks out the orange party from fielding a presidential candidate in 2022.

“Both Raila and Kalonzo ran as a pair in 2017, they should now support Musalia in fidelity and truthfulness to the agreement,” said Savula.

But Ruto yesterday said it was not the responsibility of the President to solve opposition leaders' problems or unite them ahead of next year's polls.

"I urge fellow leaders to stop disturbing the President. The President was elected to plan for the county's development on behalf of 45 million Kenyans. The President was not elected to serve four or five people,” said Ruto.

Ruto said the President has very demanding responsibilities of serving more than 45 million Kenyans and not just a few leaders.

He spoke at the New Breed City Chapel, Kiambu Road and African Holy Ghost Christian Church, Huruma.

"It is not fair that for four years, six people have been disturbing the President to change the Constitution because of their greed for power and are now disturbing him to organise them for next year's general election,” said the DP.

Musalia, while attending a church service, promised to save the economy if elected President next year.

“My agenda is the economy, my only job for Kenyans as your president is to revive the economy and ensure peace prevails," said Musalia.

"As your president, I will ensure taxes on basic commodities are lowered and give the citizens a life of hope".

There is a growing feeling within the President's circles that the head of state could have decided to back Raila as his heir.

Raila was with Uhuru during his one-day tour of Kalonzo's Ukambani turf, a political calculation that exposed the progress made in the ongoing scheme to reunite Nasa chiefs.

He appeared to endorse Raila and Kalonzo when he remarked that the duo understands what the country needs.

"And that is why I thank these leaders. If you hear Raila speak, he says infrastructure, infrastructure, infrastructure. He understands what is needed. If you listen to Kalonzo, it is the same. He understands what's needed," Uhuru said last Friday.

Kalonzo is under pressure from Ukambani governors including Charity Ngilu (Kitui), Alfred Mutua (Machakos) and Kivutha Kibwana of Makueni to work with Raila ahead of the next general election.

Without Musalia in the President's succession plan, the strategists believe Raila can have  a bigger fighting chance in Western Kenya if he locks Ukambani.

There are reports that Uhuru held a lengthy meeting with Kalonzo after the Ukambani trip on Friday.