Forget Uhuru and Raila, Mudavadi is next president

As the 2017 General Election fast approaches, we already have assertions from different quarters including journalists, political spin-masters and outright political foes that the presidential race is going to be a two horse race between Jubilee and CORD.

However, we have another school of thought who seem to see the enormous potential in Mudavadi but still consider him as third best to President Uhuru and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

A brief look at the political history of Musalia Mudavadi reveals he was one of the youngest Cabinet Ministers ever appointed in Kenya.

He had a sterling career as Minister for Marketing and Supplies, Finance, Agriculture, Transport and Telecommunications, Vice President and Minister of Home Affairs and lastly Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Local Government.

It can be said without fear of contradiction that he is the longest serving Cabinet Minister after retired Presidents Daniel Arap Moi and Mwai Kibaki.

Indeed, if the Presidency was achieved by application and qualification, then Mudavadi possesses the most impressive curriculum vitae.

Mudavadi's sober approach to issues has earned him the title of being the gentleman of the Kenyan politics.

In fact the title third force seems to have its origin from this as Kenyans seem to look for an alternative to the extremely corrupt Jubilee and the clueless CORD with no tangible solutions.

We all remember the teachers’ solidarity account for example. The OKOA Kenya is yet to leave the station just as the laptop project seems to have been swept under the carpets.

While we have seen both Uhuru and Raila make public utterances that have later come to haunt them, Mudavadi, carefully and calculatingly, considers and thinks through his every public and private pronouncement.

Anything that has emanated from his quarter is usually inoffensive and civil even in the face of provocation.

As a consequence, he has occasionally been referred to as a coward by his detractors. He has objectively criticised the government by oftently offering the best way out, an aspect that has seen some elements in CORD claim that he works for Jubilee.

The only point they seem to miss is the fact that opposition is not all about castigating, but also offering solutions.

The first term for Uhuru as the president has impacted him in all sorts of manners. He seemed to have started on the right foot in his first months in office.

But later, everything started to fall apart as corruption started to dog his administration. I am not saying that this was unique to his administration, but how he handles them reveals the president as a man who seems not to have an idea of what he is doing.

No wonder the recent outrage on social media towards the president. To me, this comes as no surprise as someone once said that before ascending to the presidency, Uhurus political career was as short as a miniskirt with nothing to show for.

Those who support CORD leader Raila claim that Kenya needs a ruthless leader who will clean up the mess created by previous regimes.

But what they seem to forget is the fact that as the Prime Minister and co-principal of the coalition government, he was thoroughly outmanoeuvred by the sickly Mwai Kibaki, otherwise christened the coward of Kenyan politics just as Mudavadi is frequently branded.

But above all, Raila seems to merit more as an opposition chief other than the one in command. You can check with the grand coalition government for more facts on the same.

With his sober approach to issues, Mudavadi has positioned himself for Kenyans to tap into his sea of experience and take the country forward.

His new found vehicle for 2017 elections, the Amani national Congress is fast gaining grounds.

It comes along as a peaceful entity ready to embrace all beyond the tribal lines that both CORD and Jubilee have merited on.

History has shown that Kenyans in their pursuit of peace and harmony prefer leaders that are consistent, reliable and predictable.

That is how Moi, Kibaki and Uhuru were elected. The firebrands, warmongers, sabre-rattlers and loose cannons are given a wide berth.

Mudavadi falls into the former mold, and would be a worthy successor to the Jubilee team.