I am sure our paths will cross again, Raila now tells Mudavadi

Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader Raila Odinga has hinted at working with Amani National Congress (ANC) leader Musalia Mudavadi again.

Raila, who attended the burial of Mudavadi’s stepmother Mama Rosebella Jerono Mudavadi at Budira village in Vihiga County yesterday, said the fact that they have taken different political paths in the past does not mean they cannot work together.

“Mudavadi and I go back a long way. We have been friends since we were in opposition,” said the former prime minister.

He narrated how they parted ways in 2013 but joined forces again in 2017 under the now defunct National Super Alliance (Nasa).

“In 2013 Mudavadi took a different path and you know what happened. In 2017, we went to hunt together, aimed at the animal but unfortunately it disappeared into the forest and was devoured by hyenas. I had nothing left to share,” Raila told mourners at the funeral of Mama Rosebella.

He urged Mudavadi’s supporters to give him a chance to engage the former vice president. “I know our paths will cross again going forward,” he said.

He said they still referred to each other by their mothers’ names.

“Mudavadi is right, I call him mwana wa Hannah and he calls me mwana wa Mary,” said Raila.

“The senior Mudavadi assisted my father Jaramogi Oginga in many ways; they were also close friends.” 

Raila apologised for arriving at the burial late, saying he was held up at the burial of “his sister” elsewhere.

He was accompanied by Kisumu Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o.

Mudavadi said he had in the past agreed to disagree with Raila but not to the extent of creating enmity between them.

He said Kenyans would decide who to lead them in 2022 “and if it is me who will have been elected, we shall rejoice, and if it is Mzee Raila we shall accept”.

Mudavadi said he would wish to help the country prosper, restore dignity of all Kenyans by ensuring they have money in their pockets, fix the ailing economy and put the interest of the nation first.

“By so doing, we shall be able to change the lives of our people. With proper management of public resources and security, Kenya will make huge strides in terms of development,” said Mudavadi.

He relayed apologies from his One Kenya Alliance (OKA) colleagues Kalonzo Musyoka (Wiper), Gideon Moi (Kanu) and Moses Wetang’ula (Ford Kenya) who had earlier attended Mama Rosebella’s requiem mass at Friends Church in Nairobi on Thursday.

Prof Nyong’o urged Mudavadi’s supporters from Vihiga to remain calm and maintain a good relationship with their neighbours in Kisumu.

“In order to build a united country, we must stick together. We have worked together with Mudavadi before and we will continue working together so that we can make Kenya a country our people desire to have,” said Nyong’o.

Western leaders allied to Mudavadi cautioned him against entering into political alliances blindly with new partners.

“We know tomorrow (Sunday) you will be meeting other leaders, including Martha Karua, National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi and former Kiambu governor William Kabogo. We would like you to remind them that you will be the presidential candidate in whatever alliance that will be crafted,” said Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala.

Malala also hit out at Kanduyi MP Wafula Wamunyinyi whom he said was being used to scuttle Mudavadi’s presidential bid.

“I would wish to tell Wamunyinyi that he will find it hard selling his DAP-K party in Western, we shall not allow people to be used to cause confusion,” said the senator.

Lugari MP Ayub Savula challenged OKA principals to stop boardroom meetings and start courting Kenyans.

“We expect you to stop your boardroom meetings and go the voters. Campaigns are not conducted in churches and boardrooms,” Savula said.

Sabatia MP Alfred Agoi told Raila that he had not been sincere after reneging on his earlier promise to back one of Nasa candidate if he lost in 2017.

Meanwhile, Raila has called on the Nyanza residents to register as voters.

The ODM leader, who was speaking at a funeral in Paga village in Kisumu County, asked mourners to be armed with a voter’s card ahead of the 2022 General Election.

“I want us to be ready such that when I say we move forward we do it together. Let us be ready because this is like a war. We must have our weapons ready,” he said.

Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has announced that the second and final voter registration exercise will start in January next year.

Kisii Deputy Governor Joash Maangi, who recently decamped to ODM from United Democratic Alliance (UDA), said that Nyanza should ensure they have 95 per cent votes for Raila in 2022.

He said in 2017, Nyanza region recorded a 70 per cent turn out against Central Kenya’s 95 per cent.

“The minimum we should get is 99 per cent from this region. If we do not come out in large numbers to register and vote for our presidential candidate, we will still lose. As for us, we will not disappoint Raila in Kisii land,” said Maangi.

Nyong’o said Nyanza region must play its part in ensuring Raila captures the presidency. “We may shout and celebrate as much as we want before the event but when the event comes, let us dance as well,” said Nyong’o.

[Additional reporting by Olivia Odhiambo]