Sakaja-Wanjiru spat threatens to mar Kenya Kwanza rally
An ugly spat between Bishop Margaret Wanjiru and Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja almost marred a series of public rallies convened by Kenya Kwanza bigwigs Musalia Mudavadi and Moses Wetangula to market the new coalition in Nairobi.
For almost three minutes, the two engaged in a public exchange that nearly turned physical, as Mudavadi and Wetangula, a host of MPs and the public watched in disbelief.
Trouble started during one of the rallies at City Park grounds when Sakaja cut short Wanjiru, who was addressing the crowd by grabbing the microphone. This was after the youths started shouting Wanjiru down, forcing Sakaja to intervene.
An enraged Wanjiru shot back, nearly pouncing on Sakaja while accusing him of ferrying the youths to heckle his political rivals. Both Sakaja and Wanjiru are seeking the Nairobi governor’s seat, the former on the Amani National Congress (ANC) ticket and the latter on the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) ticket.
Delicate balance The disagreement exposed the delicate balance political bigwigs must strike to contain the emerging fierce rivalries between their long-standing allies and the new entrants in their parties.
Speaking at the rally after the situation that was threatening to get out of control was contained, the Kenya Kwanza alliance’s leaders sustained their onslaught on President Uhuru Kenyatta for propping up what they termed as ‘State Project’ against the wishes of the electorate.
They also trashed the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) education system, saying it has brought misery to Kenyans and want it abolished and replaced with the old system.
The team sought to downplay a storm that is brewing in the alliance over the positions that Mudavadi and Wetang’ula will get after joining the outfit.
The leaders told President Kenyatta that although they respect him as a national leader, they do not fear him. While touring Westlands Constituency in the absence of Deputy President William Ruto, the Kenya Kwanza honchos maintained they are the only people who can be trusted with reviving the economy and uplifting the downtrodden. Yesterday, Mudavadi told the President not to impose any leader on Kenyans.
“Don’t soil your legacy by imposing a leader on the People of Kenya. The people of Kenya should be left to choose their president in a free, fair, credible and transparent process,” said Mudavadi.
The ANC boss, who is eyeing to be the Kenya Kwanza Alliance presidential flag bearer, claimed that the Raila Odinga-led Azimio La Umoja Movement is spending more than Sh15 million to host its meetings in organised tents across the country.
Mudavadi said the Sh15 million being spent in the campaigns of Raila are public funds and called on the Auditor General Nancy Gathangu to ensure the 2021-22 financial year expenditure is thoroughly scrutinised and those found culpable brought to book.
He further challenged the National Treasury Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yatani to explain how the public debt rose from Sh9 trillion to Sh11.7 trillion without getting the nod of Parliament that set the ceiling at not more than Sh9 trillion.
“That team Azimio is a State project that is spending Sh15 million in every meeting they organise in tents,” claimed Mudavadi. Wetang’ula told the residents of City Park Parklands, Githogoro, Mwitumo and Kangemi that no ‘Deep State or System’ will choose the leaders for Kenyans and urged the electorate to accord them the chance to form the next government.
“Kenyans should have the opportunity to elect their President without being forced. Deep State and the system will neither choose a leader nor will the wealthy businessmen who sit at Safari Park,” said Wetangula.
Wetang’ula said should Kenya Kwanza Alliance get the nod to lead the country, they will abolish the CBC education system, which he claimed is too expensive for both pupils and their parents.
Regional kingpins “When we form the government, we will do away with CBC and bring back 8.4.4. Parents and children are hurting because it is too expensive. We will reduce taxes and bring back devolution to Nairobi,” said Wetangula.
Ruto’s luminaries Rigathi Gachagua (Mathira), Aden Duale (Garissa Township), Kimani Ichung’wa (Kikuyu), Nixon Korir (Langata), Johnson Sakaja (Nairobi), Kithure Kindiki (Tharaka Nithi), Kipchumba Murkomen (Elgeyo Marakwet), Millicent Omanga (Nominated) and UDA Chairman Johnson Muthama called on President “The President should tell us what happened between him and the DP.
While at it, he should tell us why he threw out Duale, Kindiki and Ichung’wa from the Budget and Appropriations Committee. We would want to know how these people who had served him diligently wronged him,” said Gachagua.
Duale said Mudavadi and Wetang’ula are not just Western region leaders but Kenyan leaders who have risen beyond regional kingpins. Kindiki charged that contrary to their opponent’s expectations, Mudavadi and Wetang’ula have not joined hands with UDA to fight over positions but to uplift the living standards of ordinary citizens.
Sharing positions “We are not in the business of sharing positions but we want to help the common citizen. In the Kenya Kwanza Alliance, we believe in empowering those at the bottom of the pyramid as opposed to sharing positions.
It will not matter who gets what,” said Kindiki. On Monday, Muthama stated that Ruto’s running mate will not necessarily come from the Mt Kenya region that he has been looking up to but may come from any other region or a community.
“UDA will not pick a running mate based on tribe or region. We seek to eliminate the perception that a running mate must only come from a populous community or region,” said Muthama.
The Kenya Kwanza Alliance team today heads to Naivasha in a vote hunting mission with less than seven months to polls.
