Mount Kenya will not support Ruto in 2022 - ODM's John Mbadi

 ODM Chairman John Mbadi  PHOTO.BONIFACE OKENDO

Combative ODM party leader John Mbadi spoke to SCOPHINE AOKO OTIENO about why his party’s supporters fight, MPs who never utter a word in Bunge and the reason no one should tell Wetang’ula to leave CORD

There are rumours that Governor Joho will be Raila Odinga’s running mate for 2017...

Those are rumours. Such a thing has not been discussed, but one year is a long time in politics.

So is the MoU making Kalonzo Cord’s flag bearer still valid?

I do not think there is such an MoU because none of us is aware of it. Unless those who are party to it come out to peak, we are engaging in speculation. The important thing is for the three principals to sit and agree as they did in 2013 on who should be the flag bearer.

The issue is not surmountable and those who are engaging in the irrelevant MoU talks should leave the three to agree among themselves.

Some of your supporters are daring Wetang’ula to leave yet that attitude has cost Raila the presidency twice.

No one told those who left ODM to leave. They decided to leave and there was little anyone could do about it. As insiders, we are very aware of how it was engineered for Mudavadi and William Ruto to walk out and destabilise ODM. You cannot compete with powers that that be with vast resources.

We really persuaded those guys to stay. Someone like Ruto, we even split the position of Deputy party leader for him but that seemingly was not enough for him. For those saying Weta or anyone else can leave, that is reckless and unnecessary talk. ODM and CORD do not belong to them and even if anyone is to leave as is their democratic right, let them do so out of their own will. Numbers are critical and we need everyone.

Some ODM governors want to be given direct nomination. What is the party’s position?

There is nothing wrong with anyone asking for direct nominations. The issue was completely played out of proportion. Their argument is that where a position has a term limit (two terms in the case of governor), it would not make sense to subject the same person to party nominations if he is still vying on the same ticket.

For instance, in USA, when President Obama was running for a second term, the Democrats did not subject him to party primaries. So they have a point. However, given the kind of democracy we have as a country and as a party, giving them direct nomination is tough.

Are these Governor’s afraid of flawed party nominations or their own track record?

I do not think that there is anyone in this world who is not afraid of nominations, including myself! However, I do not buy the conclusion that they were asking for direct nomination based on (poor) track records or nomination flaws.

Why is ODM unable to hold organised internal elections devoid of chaos?

What do you mean? We have just held elections across the 47 Counties with chaos reported in only three Counties.

Look at it from this angle: which party has been able to hold internal elections apart from ODM?

There might be challenges but we are setting an example. People fight in ODM because they love it. They love the party but we are discouraging violence.

Jubilee has sworn to wrest Nairobi County from CORD. What are your plans?

Let us call a spade a spade. It is not Jubilee trying to wrest Nairobi from CORD but members of the Kikuyu community trying to own Nairobi. They feel aggrieved that it is not one of their own at the County helm. That is why they ferry people from Kiambu to come and register as voters in Nairobi so as to out Kidero.

Nairobi MCAs have also never come clean to point out what Kidero has not done or is yet to do. All they want is him out. As CORD, we will strongly support our Governor because we believe his first term was basically for setting up structures.

President Uhuru’s ratings remain high in spite of corruption in Government. Why?

First, I do not believe in opinion polls because they have got it wrong a number of times. Besides, CORD has not yet gained momentum because we have not even established who will be our presidential candidate. As we move towards the election, the President’s ratings can only worsen because of corruption. They will not improve.

Some MPs have not spoken in Bunge in three years. What is their problem?

MPs who say “I was not elected to speak” do not understand their job. It is the prerogative of the executive to bring development, not the MP. Ours role is to legislate, represent and provide oversight. You can’t say you are too busy building schools courtesy of CDF, to move motions or debate on pertinent issues on the floor of the house.

Such MPs have neither understood nor conceptualised their role. They are just negligent. If laws are bad but you do not want to speak, then you are failing your people and country. Being a philanthropist is not synonymous with being a good legislator.

Jubilee already has a candidate in 2022. Who is ODM’s man or woman?

I do not think Jubilee has a candidate in 2022. The much hyped support for Ruto in 2022 is political conmanship from central Kenya to win a second term for Uhuru. I can bet you that if he wins a second term, Mount Kenya will not support Ruto. These guys are our friends and colleagues in parliament. We talk so we know. The TNA wing of jubilee does not favour Ruto as president.

Does ODM now have the voters to deal with Jubilee’s tyranny of numbers?

Jubilee does not have tyranny of numbers; it has tyranny of deceits and misusing IEBC. Jubilee does not have numbers, where are the numbers to begin with?

Jubilee has only assured votes in Central province and not Rift Valley. Even with the manipulative figures, Central has slightly over two million votes. They cannot win in the rest of the Country. Even in Eastern, Raila beat Uhuru in 2013. In Coast, where did MRC go after 2013? The whole charade was a scheme to scare people not to turn out to vote.

You have complained of rigging. What plans do you have to stop that?

This is not something that should only concern us as the opposition; incompetence by the IEBC has become a national shame.  The IEBC as presently constituted cannot conduct any competent and fair general election. The commissioners just need to do the honourable thing and quit. Don’t they have conscience?