Uhuru Kenyatta has fallen out with his 2002 presidential running mate Musalia Mudavadi due to what his close confidants say is Mudavadi’s indecisiveness. Further, it has to do with Gideon Moi factor. Why Gideon factor? one may ask. Weekly Citizen has information that if Mudavadi is backed for presidency 2022, he would go for two terms given his age.
Musalia Mudavadi
This would thus affect Gideon whom the Kenyatta family wants to be president 2027 or earlier. The idea thus is to have Raila Odinga be stopgap president after Uhuru to warm State House for Gideon 2027. Those well versed with the scheme say that Raila is old and can only go for one term or less as a interlude for Kikuyu, Kalenjin dominance of presidency since independent. It is on these grounds Jubilee deputy party leader David Murathe who initially was for Mudavadi having been school mates at Nairobi School and at University of Nairobi has changed tune in favour of Raila.Signals that power barons surrounding Uhuru were for Mudavadi started in 2018 Maragoli cultural festival held at Mbale attended by Makueni governor Kivutha Kibwana, Cotu boss Francis Atwoli, Devolution CS Eugene Wamalwa and Murathe.
Gideon Moi
It is here Murathe remarks that William Ruto would not succeed Uhuru were made in presence of the host Mudavadi. Come 2019 Maragoli cultural festival, Mudavadi was left alone. On the same day the festival was on, Atwoli was hosting Raila, Kakamega governor Wycliffe Oparanya and other leaders at his Khwisero home. Murathe and Atwoli are now spearheading Raila presidency on grounds, he has fought for second liberation democracy and needs to be rewarded.What pro-Raila camp do not understand is that, the majority of Kenyan youthful voters do not know Raila and read him in history under second liberation lessons. They even think Raila is past tense like Kenneth Matiba, Charles Rubia, Masinde Muliro and Wamalwa Kijana. In 2017 presidential polls, Uhuru and Raila targeted the youthful vote as Raila banked on his traditional bloc. If Raila runs 2022, he has to rebrand himself and appeal to the youthful influential political segment.
David Murathe
Further, Raila’s health has been at the centre of discussions both locally and internationally. Gideon was instrumental in pushing Uhuru into politics and even wanted him to succeed his father, late Daniel Moi which failed. To Uhuru, any person out to scuttle Gideon’s presidential ambitions has to be tamed. Those earmarked apart from Mudavadi are Ruto. Ruto’s current political tribulations with Uhuru have more to do with Gideon’s factor than early campaigns. Raila seems to understand Uhuru, Gideon relationship that is why he is pushing for constitutional changes to accommodate the young Moi in a strategic political position come 2022. Although he has declared to run for presidency 2022 on Kanu ticket, Gideon is likely to land the slot of deputy prime minister. He will use the position to spring to presidency 2027 as Raila will be tired and aged or so he dreams. Insiders say that those Uhuru want to form the next government apart from Raila will be weak faces with no financial muscle to challenge Gideon 2027.
Kalonzo Musyoka
By then, Ruto being out of government as they anticipate, will have lost national appeal same as Mudavadi. Trouble between Mudavadi and the president is said to have started after the head of state approached the former Sabatia MP to be part of his broad-based all-inclusive 2022 succession formation which the latter kept on dilly-dallying about. Uhuru 2022 strategy is to isolate his deputy Ruto to be a lone ranger in the next presidential polls and have no formidable political face to form alliance with. Mudavadi was to be included in Ruto isolation plot. Uhuru’s 2022 succession plan coalesces around Raila, Kalonzo Musyoka, Gideon, Chama cha Mashinani leader Isaac Rutto, Internal Security CS Fred Matiang’i, Kakamega governor Wycliffe Oparanya and CS Wamalwa among others. Weekly Citizen has information that whereas Gideon is comfortable with Kalonzo, Raila is suspicious of him and believes he is likely to rock the handshake deal from within and later desert.
Francis Atwoli
This is also the team the president wants to push for constitutional change under the Building Bridges Initiative that has since been renamed Building Bridges to Unity Advisory Taskforce. “The president wanted Mudavadi to be part of this 2022 succession team, but the former Sabatia MP kept hesitating forcing Uhuru to opt working with other faces from Luhyaland,” a State House operative conversant with these developments said. In fact, insiders say, the emerging factor of Mukhisa Kituyi in national politics is part of the strategy. He said the president’s first engagement with Mudavadi was when during his first term flew to Sabatia Mululu to attend the anniversary of Mudavadi’s father, Moses Substone Mudamba Mudavadi. Another notable event was when they shared a helicopter ride to Garissa to launch a military barracks and the president used the occasion to request the former VP to support BBI but he instead started wavering.
Mukhisa Kituyi
Miffed, the president instead reached out to Atwoli and gave him the mandate to rally the Western region behind BBI and asked him to organise the BBI rallies in Bungoma and Kakamega counties that endorsed the BBI draft document amid protests from Mudavadi and Moses Wetang’ula. Finally, the two swallowed their pride and agreed to attend the BBI forum held at Bukhungu Stadium in Kakamega after the president prevailed on them to do so. The president then mooted a plan to have an all-inclusive government ahead of the 2022 general election by shaking up his cabinet secretaries and coming up with a succession-cabinet that had members from different political parties, a development that Mudavadi also rejected, further straining his relations with the head of state. The president went ahead and used Atwoli, Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya and Wamalwa to drive his development agenda in the Western counties of Kakamega, Vihiga, Busia and Bungoma.
Kivutha Kibwana
One of their responsibilities was to formulate a blueprint to revive collapsed sugar industries in the region. But the president’s patience with Mudavadi is said to have run out when he received an intelligence dossier that revealed the ANC leader was working on a possible alliance with Ruto. This followed a series of meetings between Mudavadi and former ministers Martha Karua and Sally Kosgey who are said to be among seasoned politicians the DP has assembled to drive his political agenda ahead of 2022 general Election. Other seasoned politicians in what is emerging as DP Ruto’s supreme advisory council include former senators Bonny Khalwale, Hassan Omar and Johnson Muthama and senators Kipchumba Murkomen and Kithure Kindiki. The fallout between the president and Mudavadi come on the backdrop of the abrupt resignations of Amani National Congress secretary general Barrack Muluka and Eliud Owalo who was the ANC aspirant for Kibra by-election parliamentary seat.
Eugene Wamalwa
Reports that the two high-ranking ANC officials are likely to join DP Ruto’s presidential campaign team have set off rumours that they could be an advance team ahead of an alliance between Mudavadi and Ruto. The resignations of Muluka and Owalo from ANC are said to be part of the undercurrents and schisms bedeviling the party, a development that has jolted Mudavadi into realising that all is not well within his party. Mudavadi’s problems have been compounded by emerging reports that Uhuru could be grooming the UNCTAD Secretary-General Kituyi as his secret presidential candidate in 2022 or alternatively be part of his team to push for an expanded executive that will have a president, deputy president, a prime minister and two deputy prime ministers. This development has thrown Mudavadi and his advisers into disarray. Matters are said to be more complicated for Mudavadi as even Gideon who is his buddy has shoved him aside as he fears to antagonise his relations with Uhuru due to the prevailing circumstances.
Bonny Khalwale
Mudavadi is said to be frantically trying to stabilise his sinking political ship by reaching out to Gideon, Atwoli and Raila to broker a truce between him and Uhuru before he launches campaigns in support of BBI draft amendments to the constitution. Raila is also said not to have forgiven Mudavadi following the publication of his biography “Soaring Above the Storms of Passion” launched last year that was highly critical of the ODM leader.
Ruto, Mudavadi, Kalonzo and Gideon are among presidential hopefuls who have declared their interest in the 2022 race although speculation is also rife that Raila could also be in the race. Whether Kituyi will be a presidential candidate or part of Uhuru’s 2022 succession formation, he still deems Mudavadi’s political star as he is likely to render him as a lone ranger in the Luhya voting bloc. Then we have talk that Mudavadi does not have a financial muscle to oil 2022 presidential bid. In 2013, he is said to have depended on Moi family fortunes. By then, the idea was to have Mudavadi succeed Kibaki, go for two terms and hand power to Gideon 2022.
Barrack Muluka
The same idea of having Mudavadi, a Luhya break Kikuyu, Kalenjin power dominance was the reason. Uhuru at one time after consultations with the Moi family including Gideon backed out of the presidential race 2013 to back Mudavadi only to bounce back claiming he was misled by satanic forces. Mudavadi was preferred successor by those who surrounded Kibaki presidency. It never happened. That Raila will run for presidency going by the body language of his allies speaks volumes. Raila’s wife Ida, has hit the campaign trail going by her recent political events and remarks. Even the Kenyatta family move to mend fences with the Odingas just like that of Moi family speaks volumes too. The Kenyattas have been to Bondo, Raila Upper Hill private office and recently attended Ida birthday party.
Eliud Owalo
Raila visted the ailing Moi at Kabarak, was one of the mourners in chief and had hosted the Mois at Upper Hill. Gideon is regularly spotted at Raila’s Karen residence the same with Raila at the posh senator’s residence. The trio of Kenya dynasties communicate on daily basis even deep at night.Uhuru has been spotted with Raila being driven in Nairobi streets at night after enjoying dinner with flowing drinks. Mudavadi is rarely spotted with Uhuru, Gideon or Raila, which also speaks volumes. All said and done, Ruto, Mudavadi’s political tribulations have to do with Gideon. Kalonzo is playing in the handshake game and is likely to be relegated and the position taken over by Kitui governor Charity Ngilu if Kalonzo cannot tame his presidential ambitions 2022.
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