Mudavadi wants front against Raila

By Peter Atsiaya

Musalia Mudavadi took Kakamega town by storm on Saturday with his first UDF rally amid calls for a united front against PM Raila Odinga.

The Deputy Prime Minister wants to go head to head against Raila come the March 2013 General Election and will be seeking the support of other presidential hopefuls in the informal G7 alliance to do so.

The Sabatia MP, who was received by thousands of his supporters at Muliro Gardens, got a boost when Deputy PM Uhuru Kenyatta and Eldoret North MP William Ruto sent their allies to show their support for him.

The two are keen to be seen as holding open the door to the G7 Alliance for him especially after Mr Uhuru’s recent promise to rival Western leader Eugene Wamalwa.

In their speeches, both the G7 MPs and Mr Mudavadi’s allies said unity was the only weapon required to defeat Raila during the next General Election.

Cabinet Minister Jamleck Kamau and Assistant minister Lewis Nguyai represented Uhuru at the rally, while Mr Ruto’s ambassador was Mt Elgon MP Fred Kapondi. Mr Kamau, Mr Nguyai and Mr Kapondi said talks between Mudavadi, Uhuru and Ruto on a joint presidential candidate were in top gear.

Decision irreversible

“Uhuru has sent me here to tell you that he supports Mudavadi,” said Mr Nguyai. “He is ready to work with him with a view of supporting one presidential candidate. We have started talks with UDF and URP (such as) the meeting we had in Nairobi last week where we defeated our enemies.”

The MP was referring to a meeting by MPs from the three parties where they rejected names nominated by ODM for East African Legislative Assembly MPs in Parliament. He added: “We are targeting a Western, Rift Valley and Central alliance before reaching out to other regions. We started as the G7 Alliance but with Mudavadi on board we are now G8.”

Kamau said TNA has agreed to form an alliance with UDF with a view of picking a single candidate to challenge the PM and other presidential candidates. To this, the crowd chanted “Mudavadi! Mudavadi!”

The Nairobi Metropolitan Development minister then said: “Kama mmeamua ni Mudavadi, basi tutamuunga mkono (If you have decided it is Mudavadi then we will support him).”

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