Tharaka Nithi Senator Kithure Kindiki has said Musalia Mudavadi and Moses Wetang'ula signed to deliver 70 per cent of the Western vote in a deal with Deputy President William Ruto.
Kindiki, the Kenya Kwanza lead lawyer who drafted the coalition agreement, said ANC and Ford Kenya leaders consented to deliver at least 1.5 million of the 2.2 million vote bloc to the DP’s presidential basket.
The provision of the votes would allow Mudavadi and Wetang'ula to get Chief Minister and Senate Speaker slots and 30 per cent of the government if Ruto wins.
“For the two parties, it was decided that should we reach a certain threshold of the votes from areas where they have a massive following based on opinion polls and past elections, then they can be assigned government responsibilities up to a certain percentage,” Kindiki said.
Kindiki told Citizen TV on Tuesday evening that the threshold was pegged at 70 per cent.
He said Mudavadi and Wetang'ula would not have signed the coalition agreement had they not agreed with the terms.
The confirmation settled the speculations which have been opposed by the Mudavadi and Wetang'ula allies concerning the condition for a threshold to get government positions.
In the coalition agreement signed by the DP’s UDA and the two leaders on April 5 and deposited with the Registrar of Political Parties on May 8, Mudavadi and Wetang'ula were promised 30 per cent of the government.
ANC will nominate the candidate to be appointed as Prime Cabinet Secretary while Ford Kenya would get Senate Speaker if they deliver.
If the alliance forms government, the president shall within 14 days create the position of Prime CS - equivalent to Prime Minister - and whose roles have been defined in the agreement.
In the agreement, UDA will produce both president and deputy president seats for the Kenya Kwanza Alliance.
However, analysts say it will be a daunting task for Mudavadi and Wetang'ula to deliver the vote from the region that has been regarded as ODM leader Raila Odinga’s political bedrock.
In 2017, Raila, then supported by both Mudavadi and Wetang'ula, got 82 per cent of the voting bloc beating President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Kindiki also spoke on how he missed out on the running mate slot in the Kenya Kwanza alliance.
He said he beat Mathira MP Rigathi Gachagua, who the DP picked as his running mate on Sunday, in all aspects.
“It is true that I emerged the winner. These polls were first within the 10 counties of Mt Kenya, then within the 47 counties. In all, I emerged top. The electoral college votes were also the same, I emerged top,” he said.
Edited by Kiilu Damaris
