Kalonzo, Mudavadi in drive to bar Raila from presidential race
ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi, ODM's Raila Odinga and Wiper's Kalonzo Musyoka during a past media briefing in Nairobi in 2018.
National Super Alliance (Nasa) chiefs Kalonzo Musyoka and Musalia Mudavadi have launched a push to block Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader Raila Odinga from contesting the presidency, citing a clause in the coalition’s agreement.
The two want Mr Odinga, who was Nasa’s presidential candidate in the 2017 election, to honour the agreement.
According to the deal, the 2017 presidential flagbearer cannot be given the coalition’s top ticket.
Mr Musyoka, who is the Wiper Party leader, and his Amani National Congress (ANC) colleague say Mr Odinga should back one of them, based on the Nasa deal.
According to Mr Musyoka, it is wrong for ODM to advertise applications for the presidential ticket “since the party was barred from fielding a candidate following the 2017 pact that also included Mr Moses Wetang’ula’s Ford Kenya and former Bomet Governor Isaac Ruto’s Chama Cha Mashinani (CCM), which has since left Nasa.
Experience
“I was Raila’s running mate in 2013 and 2017. Why should I support him a third time? People will think I am mad. I have the experience and qualities to be president and will go for it,” Mr Musyoka told NTV on Wednesday.
Mr Odinga contested the presidency on the ticket of the Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (Cord), Nasa’s predecessor, in 2013.
“When President Uhuru Kenyatta exits the stage next year, Raila should follow him,” Mr Musyoka said.
At an event in Western Kenya last weekend, Mr Mudavadi also insisted Mr Odinga honour the agreement.
“In 2017, Raila said he had the last bullet for the presidency. We let him do it and asked him to aim correctly,” the ANC leader said.
“We now ask him to let us fire our bullets. I have many bullets in the chamber.”
However, ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna dismissed the push, saying it should only come if the Nasa agreement is renewed.
“The coalition agreement provided that ODM would not field a candidate in 2022 only if the agreement which expires at the end of this Parliament’s term is renewed. We can therefore only discuss that matter if and when that happens,” Mr Sifuna said.
