Mudavadi says he is best after Kibaki

By Munene Kamau and John Majau

Concluding his central Kenya tour, Sabatia MP Musalia Mudavadi left the region with two new nicknames and a parting shot to voters that he is their best option for President.

While campaigning in Central Province, the Deputy Prime Minister was tagged with the Kikuyu name “Macharia”, while Meru elders gave him the name “M’Mukiri” when he sought their blessings in his bid for State House.

The United Democratic Forum (UDF) presidential hopeful literally camped in the Mt Kenya region since last week. Mudavadi asked his colleague and competitor for the top seat, Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta to declare him “Tosha” and back him for State House.

He said he lost his Sabatia seat in 2002 because of backing Uhuru for the presidency which the latter went on to lose to President Kibaki.

Focus on future

Mudavadi pulled huge crowds during his tour, and told them in Kiswahili it was time for central Kenya to rudisha mkono (return the favour) by voting him for President.

As he concluded his Mt Kenya region tour yesterday, Mudavadi told those banking on reforms not to dwell on the past but focus on the future of the country.

Mudavadi said some of those aspiring for the State House job should be innovative by coming up with new ideas as opposed to always reminding Kenyans of the country’s dark past.

“Any true reformer is the one who has the aspirations of making this country an economic tiger and not empty rhetoric,” he said.

Speaking in Chuka town on Sunday evening as he wound up his three-day presidential tour through the Mt Kenya region, the Sabatia legislator said the next Head of State should be a person of high integrity.

“Those aspiring for the presidency yet they are fully aware they are of questionable integrity should stop wasting their time as Kenyans already know who should lead them,” he asserted.

Accompanied by legislators Jeremiah Kioni (Ndaragwa) Ndiritu Muriithi and nominated MP George Nyamweya, Mudavadi said he has what it takes to become the next chief executive officer of the country.

He told a cheering crowd that there were talks between him and his counterpart Uhuru Kenyatta on how they should go about the election of the next president. Mudavadi said the talks were going on well and he was sure the outcome would be in the interest of the country.

He said the next president would be expected to turn around the national economy as well as making sure there were job opportunities for the youth.

“When I take over I will make sure that the economy is performing positively, unemployment is addressed appropriately while security is enhanced in order to create a conducive environment for all of us,” he noted.

Mudavadi said that having been brought up in Kenya and educated at the University of Nairobi he was able to interact with Kenyans from all walks of life and so had the best qualifications to succeed President Kibaki.

“When you look at the rest of the contestants in the presidential race, am sure you are now seeing the true Mudavadi who is down to earth, a patriot and a reliable driver, to entrust with the affairs of this great nation,” he said.

Big boost

The Chuka rally was also attended by aspirants for various elective positions led by the famous Tharaka lawyer Dr Kithure Kindiki who said he was seeking the Senator’s position in the County.

Mudavadi told the voters to see him as their own son, vote for him overwhelmingly when the time comes and enjoy the change his leadership would bring. While in Meru, UDF got a boost in Meru County after over 200 officials defected from the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) and joined it. Led by the Former Meru County ODM Secretary General George Thuranira, the members said they took the drastic move after realising Prime Minister Raila Odinga “had deliberately abandoned us in favour of Nairobi-based political brokers.”

They said after a lot of consultations and analysis, they decided to support a presidential candidate capable of uniting the entire country and healing the current existing tribal animosity in Kenya.

“After a lot of deliberations, we have decided to support deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi because he is humble and development conscience apart from being the only politician in Kenya who can unite all the tribes and leaders,” said Thuranira.

He said there is no development without unity and urged other like-minded people to support Mudavadi because he is the most qualified person. “We defected after hitting a dead end and realising that we were ending nowhere with PM and we need a leader who is ready to unite all Kenyans and not to sideline certain communities,” said Thuranira.