UDA National Chairman Johnstone Muthama. [Edward Kiplimo, Standard]
Deputy President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA) now says it has not entered any formal coalition agreement with Amani National Congress (ANC) of Musalia Mudavadi.
UDA National Chairman Johnstone Muthama said that they are currently cooperating as “friends” with ANC and Ford Kenya of Moses Wetang'ula.
He made the clarification at a press conference in Nairobi, yesterday, in an attempt to fight off reports of a power-sharing deal that has placed Mudavadi to play a second fiddle in the arrangement.
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“As we are speaking now, you are being assured by UDA chairman that there is no coalition agreement that has been arrived between the three partners,” said Muthama.
“We are friends who continue talking but when time for agreeing on coalition comes then that issue will be dealt with at that time,” he added.
The three parties have been holding joint campaign rallies following a decision to work under the nascent Kenya Kwanza alliance ahead of the August 9 polls.
The clarification by Muthama comes in the wake of reports that Ruto, Mudavadi and Wetang'ula had agreed to share power in a deal that will see UDA front presidential and running mate ticket.
Sources privy to the horse-trading said the deal spells out how the three parties would share out Cabinet positions and insulate partners from cannibalising each other's political bases by creating zones and spheres of influence.
Moses Wetang'ula, DP William Ruto, Musalia Mudavadi and William Kabogo sharing a hearty moment during ANC's NDC at Bomas, January 2022. [File, Standard]
But it appears that the reported deal has triggered jitters among the coalition partners forcing party officials to make clarification that they are yet to agree on how to share positions.
In a previous interview with The Standard, Mudavadi also said that there was no coalition yet between the three parties.
Mudavadi insisted that his eyes are trained on the top price after receiving endorsement by his party delegates to run for the presidency.
“They endorsed me and I have not revoked by ambition. They also gave me the mandate to negotiate depending on the political dynamics,” he said.
“At this point, I have taken the endorsement of the delegates and I am gunning for president as ANC candidate. We have not signed any coalition (with UDA),” he added.
