The Uhuru-allied MPs read mischief at what they said was a scheme by powerful individuals to have Uhuru step down in favour of his colleague – Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi – in the March 4 elections.
And they threatened to join the alliance of their political nemesis, Prime Minister Raila Odinga, if their strong warning was not heeded.
“If it is not Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto, then all roads would lead to Bondo,” said Minister Kareke Mbiuki. Raila’s ancestral home is in Bondo in Nyanza.
The move complicates Mudavadis’ position, coming just a day after the Sabatia MP was forced to battle internal opposition from party officials who claimed that the move did not have their blessings. The National Executive Council, however, later ratified the decision.
But in a swift rejoinder, TNA, URP, UDF and Charity Ngilu’s Narc said their legal teams will begin meeting to draft nomination procedures for presidential candidates. It was not clear whether or not Ngilu is now a member of the alliance as she had attended the rival ODM/Wiper coalition meeting on Tuesday.
Thursday, the 40 MPs accused a group of powerful individuals of working behind the scenes to have Mudavadi as the alliance presidential candidate and warned that they would not succumb to pressure.
“We are giving them notice that we shall not entertain blackmail. Uhuru is the shareholder, prefect and leader of TNA,” said Sports Assistant minister Kabando wa Kabando.
But defending the alliance, an Uhuru ally — who requested for anonymity — said the reports were propaganda being peddled by some State House operatives opposed to Mudavadi working with Uhuru.
URP’s displeasure
“One of these guys even kept calling Thursday demanding that they come up with measures to fight the propaganda... It is something to be ignored because there is no big deal and there will be a process to determine who will take the position in the next 14 days,” he said.
At the same time, the other major coalition partner — Ruto’s URP — also expressed its displeasure at reports that Kanu had been incorporated into the deal under the UDF umbrella.
URP Spokesman Aden Duale, who is the URP spokesman, told The Standard by telephone that the party would not work with Kanu under the agreement.
“As a party, we are categorical that we are not working with Kanu and we are going to reconsider our position should UDF insist that the Independence party be part of the team,” said the Dujis MP.
But in a swift rejoinder, Mr Abraham Limo, a UDF director and chairman of the National Elections Board (NEB), insisted that Kanu had a valid pre-election agreement that could not be wished away.
“In UDF, we believe in politics of inclusiveness as opposed to exclusion if we have to deliver the Presidency in the first round. We have an agreement with Kanu in the same way that TNA has an agreement with Najib Balala’s United Republican Congress, which should not bother URP,” said Limo.
The UDF director said differences between individual politicians in the alliance should be put aside so that a formidable team moves to focus on winning the election.
Kanu Chairman Gideon Moi and Secretary-General Nick Salat said the party supported Mudavadi for the Presidency under the alliance but that if Uhuru won at the nomination stage, Kanu would back him.
Gideon said he held no grudge against Ruto, who has taken the Presidential running mate position under the alliance.
“We are no longer at war politically with Ruto. We will now work with him as our brother in ensuring that our team bags victory come the March 4, 2013 poll,” said Gideon.
Salat said the UDF-Kanu alliance was valid and could not be wished away, adding that what had happened was an expansion of the alliance.
And the Rev Mutava Musyimi, the chairman of a team charged with affairs of the TNA-URP Alliance, said rumours being spread by people opposed to the alliance to the effect that Uhuru had stepped down for Mudavadi had affected voter registration in the backyard of the Gatundu South MP.
Uhuru and Ruto have been indicted by the International Criminal Court over the 2007/2008 post-election violence in which 1,133 people died and more than 500,000 uprooted from their homes.
“There are a lot of rumours that Uhuru has stepped aside but we say here that Uhuru will be on the ballot. We won’t succumb to any pressure,” said Musyimi.
His Deputy and Nominated MP Amina Abdalla said if an unfair process was employed to lock out Uhuru, TNA would withdraw from the coalition.
Mudavadi’s UDF was roped into the alliance on the D-day of the coalition building, when Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka and Minister Moses Wetang’ula joined Prime Minister Raila Odinga in an alliance geared at taking power come March 2013.
Fighting chance
Uhuru and Ruto sought out Mudavadi to strengthen the TNA/URP alliance, and assured him a fighting chance with Uhuru in the presidential nominations. Ruto was to remain the running mate irrespective of the nomination outcome.
Thursday, TNA-friendly MPs said the deal remained as it originally was between their party and URP.
“They now want to impose a leader they can control...we are giving them notice that we shall not entertain their blackmail,” said Kabando.
The MPs met at Hotel Boulevard in Nairobi after Ms Abdalla, a close ally of Uhuru, summoned them to the meeting.
“Due to arising complexities, unexpected scenarios and swift dynamics, TNA Parliamentary Group (sic) needs to meet urgently. Either we are at the front in emerging plans or we sink, and regret. Let’s meet at Hotel Boulevard,” read Ms Abdalla’s invite.
After the noon meeting, Nithi MP Mbiuki warned: “Any attempt to impose a Kibaki successor will boomerang. Alliances without valid negotiations are illegitimate. Shadowy mandarins extracting proxy state power to inherit themselves must be rejected. We’ll troop them to dejection and oblivion. TNA is unshakeable,” said Mbiuki.
source: standard digital
