Oka bosses Kalonzo Musyoka and Gideon Moi on Sunday announced they were severing links with their colleague Musalia Mudavadi after he teamed up with Deputy President William Ruto.
The One Kenya Alliance was dead before it was even formally registered as an alliance. It was supposed to be an alternative, a third force in the State House race, but the principals could not agree on who should fly the flag.
Wiper and Kanu leaders made the announcement moments after they stormed out of Musalia’s ANC’s National Delegates Conference at the Bomas of Kenya. Mudavadi was installed as the party’s presidential flagbearer.
“Unfortunately, we have to part ways since some of his friends are not our friends and we are unsafe with them,” Fred Okango, who is also Kanu’s secretary of political affairs, said.
“We are therefore moving to higher grounds where Kenyans are safer. It is time to move forwards. It is time to end the nasty political games,” Okango said in a statement.
Musalia threw his colleagues in the unregistered alliance under the bus.
“We would like to wish Honourable Mudavadi the best of luck as he joins his other partners. There is no room for damages,” Okango said.
The DP and his entire UDA brigade attended the much-publicised event that saw Ford Kenya leader Moses Wetang'ula, another Oka principal, also announce he was joining the Ruto-Mudavadi vehicle.
The plan appeared well orchestrated with DP’s allies thronging the venue in their numbers, indicative of the time and effort spent in calculating the event.
Kalonzo and Gideon, who had already arrived at the Bomas of Kenya to attend their colleague’s coronation, were clearly out of the loop about what was coming.
“There was a stranger there. He was not in BBI and we were not anywhere. We could not be part of that event,” Kanu secretary general Nick Salat said.
While saying the remaining principals will have to go back the drawing boards, Salat said the options were now wide open for the chiefs.
Even if Oka was to disintegrate, it will not be to the benefit of Raila. Out of the betrayal that we have seen in the past, it is unlikely to support Raila, but anything is possible in politics
“This thing will mutate and mutate. We can join Azimio or go along the way,” Salat, an ally of the Gideon, said.
Makueni MP Dan Maanzo said his party boss and the remaining principals will have to embark on intensive consultation on the next course of action.
“Even if Oka was to disintegrate, it will not be to the benefit of Raila. Out of the betrayal that we have seen in the past, it is unlikely to support Raila, but anything is possible in politics.
In his scathing address that assailed President Uhuru Kenyatta and his handshake partner Raila Odinga, Mudavadi said his ANC party with Ruto can salvage the country. He said it was bogged down by crushing debt and cartels.
Mudavadi said Raila’s Azimio la Umoja is not an option for partnership, indirectly attacking the ODM boss as a political conman who cannot be trusted.
Ruto confirmed that his UDA party will work with ANC, Ford Kenya and other like-minded parties to unite the country and turn around the economy.
“With the coming together of uchumi bora, pesa mkononi and a bottom- up economic model, we will decisively deal with the challenge of the economy of this country,” the DP said.
He said their first joint rally will take place in Nakuru on Wednesday.
Ruto and Mudavadi's allies heaped praises on the two leaders, describing them as kingmakers and visionary leaders who had been betrayed by Uhuru and Raila.
(Edited by V. Graham)
