Musalia Mudavadi: I will go all the way to the ballot

ANC party leader Musalia Mudavadi holds during a past parliamentary group meeting at his Karen residence [Courtesy]

Amani National Congress will soon hold its National Delegates Conference (NDC) to endorse Musalia Mudavadi as its presidential flag bearer. A Parliamentary Group (PG) meeting yesterday agreed that after Amani Council settled on Mudavadi as its presidential candidate last year, it was time they unveiled him and gave him ample time to campaign. 

The meeting agreed that the party popularises Mudavadi’s presidential candidature countrywide by engaging in continuous meet-the-people tours reaching all Kenyans as the party prepares for its NDC.

Briefing the media after the meeting, Mudavadi said: “In this election, there are no two ways about it; I just want to reassure you, my people, that I am ready for the presidential contest. We shall fight with my competitors up to the end. I will be there, God willing. I'll be in the field in 2022,” said Mudavadi.

The PG unanimously resolved that Mudavadi will not play second fiddle. The party said nobody should coerce any Kenyan to vote in a particular way. It asked Kenyans to remain focused and vote wisely.

“As a party we don't support voters being fixed into a corner to support either candidate X or Y. Let democracy prevail and let the people decide who they want to be their leader from the ward level to the President,” said Mudavadi.

As he spoke, Jubilee Coalition Joint Parliamentary Group (PG) secretary Adan Keynan rooted for the One Kenya Alliance (OKA) team to join the looming Jubilee-ODM 2022 partnership.

Keynan said the country was in safer political and economic state with an all-inclusive leadership founded on a broad based coalition.

The Eldas MP said a unity of purpose between, Jubilee, ODM and OKA team would ensure victory in the 2022 election and therefore the unity and a broad based coalition was critical. "We want to have a broad based coalition that will bring all Kenyans together and ensure that the government formed, builds on the gains of President Uhuru Kenyatta and take the country to another level," said Keynan

The doors for a formidable grand coalition are open to political partners with legitimate commitment to President Uhuru Kenyatta's aspiration for a legacy of a more united country post-2022.

"The OKA team, just like ODM, have been dependable partners of this regime during the past four years, and would be in a better place following the Uhuru-Raila political footsteps of national unity next year," said Keynan.

Lately Mudavadi has heightened political activities to court new allies. Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala, Lugari MP Ayub Savula and Matuga MP Kassim Tandaza have categorically stated after the Parliamentary Group Meeting that he is the best bet for Kenyans come 2022.

“We want to assure Kenyans that Musalia Mudavadi is stronger than ever before to vie for the presidential seat. We have set up a committee that will ensure as ANC, we look for political friends within the OKA outfit and outside OKA with a sole aim of ensuring that Musalia Mudavadi becomes Kenya’s fifth president. We are going to enhance our political activities countrywide to ensure we achieve our goal,” said Mr Malala.

“We have discussed constitutional requirements that will guide our journey towards 2022, with a focus of ensuring that we meet all of them together with the IEBC requirements and timelines that will see our candidate sail through smoothly, as we aim to face our competitors come August 2022,” said Savula.

In 2017, Mudavadi backed ODM leader Raila Odinga under the National Super Alliance (NASA) for the top seat. NASA was disbanded and now ANC says it will be crafting an alliance that will have leaders who stick to the rule of law, are honest and trusted to ensure that they win next year’s presidential race.