Western is ready to move on without ODM, says Mudavadi

ANC party leader Musalia Mudavadi addressing leaders allied to Kenya Kwanza Alliance from Western at his home at Mululu village in Vihiga county on Feb 25, 2022. [Benjamin Sakwa, Standard]

Amani National Congress (ANC) party leader Musalia Mudavadi on Friday hosted over 4,000 political and church leaders at his Mululu home in Vihiga County to lay down strategies of stifling Azimio la Umoja bandwagon.

Mudavadi is seeking to undo the inroads that ODM leader Raila Odinga has made in the region through the Azimio la Umoja coalition.

The ANC leader, who was flanked by his Ford Kenya counterpart Moses Wetang’ula, told the delegation that Raila has subjected the people of Western to untold suffering and urged voters to reject him.

Further, the two leaders claimed that “political brokers” have been pushing them to back Raila’s presidential bid yet it is the former Prime Minister who owes them and the people of Western political debts.

Mudavadi recalled supporting President Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila in previous elections “but our efforts and contribution were never appreciated.”

“I supported Uhuru in 2002 and Raila in 2007 and 2017, but they have shown me and the Luhya community no gratitude,” said the former Deputy Prime Minister.

He said Western has been taken for granted by those who claim to the regions political partners “and it is high time we changed the narrative.”

“We have helped our brother Raila and invested many years of political struggle in him but he is the kind of person who doesn’t appreciate other people,” said Mudavadi.

“It reached a point where Wetang’ula and myself decided it was time to look for trustworthy friends elsewhere.”

According to Mudavadi, President Uhuru is exhibiting arrogance by imagining that he could handpick his successor. The president on Wednesday endorsed Raila during the Sagana lll meeting, a move that has not gone down well with the Kenya Kwanza leaders.

“There are few Kenyans who are arrogant and they feel entitled to decide for over 20 million voters who their leader will be,” said Mudavadi.

At the same time, the leaders slammed Uhuru’s government for what they termed as abandoning Western in terms of development projects.

“We have heard you (President) say that Kenyans cannot vote for Ruto because he has stolen, but graft has worsened after the Handshake, and we must ask ourselves, who are the real thieves?” said Mudavadi.

Kenya Kwanza is targeting to bag at least 39 parliamentary seats across the region and all the five governor seats.

Wetang’ula said they were tired of political conmanship exhibited in some leaders from Western.

“I said in 2017 that the divorce was going to be messy, noisy and with casualties. And today we can see the casualties will be reeling in pain for many years to come,” he said.

Present were Vihiga Woman Rep Beatrice Adagala, MPs Alfred Agoi (Sabatia), Ferdinand Wanyonyi (Kwanza), Malulu Injendi (Malava), Majimbo Kalasinga (Kabuchai), Benjamin Washiali (Mumias East) and Chris Wamalwa (Kiminini), and former Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale among other aspirants allied to Kenya Kwanza Alliance.