I’m ready to work with Raila, but on certain conditions – Kalonzo Musyoka

Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka speaking during a press conference [Courtesy]

Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka says he is ready to work with Raila Odinga ahead of the August 9 General Election on the condition that their 2017-2022 MOU is negotiated afresh.

Addressing journalists at his office in Karen, Nairobi on Tuesday, March 1, the Wiper chief said his 2017-2022 Memorandum of Understanding with Odinga is still binding, and that the ODM boss has breached the agreement.

During their time together within the now-defunct National Super Alliance (NASA), Musyoka was to deputise Odinga between 2017 and 2022, and that the former prime minister would support Musyoka’s presidential bid in the August 9 polls regardless of the outcome of the 2017 presidential election.

Citing that agreement, Musyoka urged Odinga, who has since expressed interest in succeeding President Uhuru Kenyatta, to reconsider his bid, and instead, support him (Musyoka) in the upcoming polls.

Musyoka said he could not attend ODM’s National Delegates Conference (NDC) last Saturday because he knew the party was going to endorse Odinga for President, and that would be in breach of their pact.

The Wiper Party boss says he won’t play hardball provided he and Odinga set new terms of engagement.

“I am ready to work with him again under the three-pillar coalition government. I urge as we engage in fresh negotiations, this [2017-2022 signed MOU] document forms the basis of these negotiations,” he said.

Musyoka said he made public details of his MOU with Odinga because the latter’s team had frustrated efforts to convene a meeting, and that he wanted to dismiss, with evidence, tags used on him such as the “indecisive kingmaker”.

“I have been compelled to release the above document in order to answer some of the criticisms levelled against me,” he said.

Last Friday, Musyoka led OKA principals in announcing that the alliance had formally initiated open and structured dialogue with like-minded political formations, namely Jubilee and ODM parties.

“We are open to the formation of a grand coalition to be known as the Azimio-One Kenya Alliance that shall be anchored on three equal pillars,” he said in a televised address.

“As OKA, we firmly believe in an open, honest, and structured dialogue whose basis is the promotion of national unity, upholding and respecting the dignity of all Kenyans, ending the culture of corruption and impunity, and restoring the decency of living within our borders,” he added.

Musyoka, however, said OKA affiliate parties won’t join Azimio la Umoja as individual political outfits.

He stated that OKA was on the course to announce a presidential candidate that would represent the alliance at the ballot box in the August 9, 2022, General Election.

Additional reporting by Dennis Tarrus