ANC refutes ‘insufficient’ funds claim, MP toes line
Amani National Congress leader Musalia Mudavadi has fought off claims that he resolved to join forces with Deputy President William Ruto because he was unable to fund his own presidential campaigns.
Mudavadi termed the comments by Sabatia MP Alfred Agoi as “personal and inaccurate.”
The remarks were made while campaigning for his bid for Vihiga governorship in Emuhaya Constituency. Agoi was reported as saying that Mudavadi did not have funds to fuel vehicles for his campaigns, unlike Ruto and Azimio La Umoja presidential candidate Raila Odinga.
Additionally, it was claimed that Agoi said his party leader was in a disadvantaged position compared to both Ruto and Raila, as both were using State resources - having been out of the government for 15 years. Focused on race
Agoi was quoted as saying: “Mudavadi was focused on the State House race but we felt that we cannot win with our little resources. Some of us are poor and we could not fully support our ANC party leader Mudavadi to fuel his campaigns.”
Agoi allegedly added that ODM leader Raila Odinga had short-changed Mudavadi by failing to support him for the presidency race.
“Raila had failed to support Mudavadi for presidency, and instead he told us in 2017 that he used a bow and not his last bullet. Mudavadi had sacrificed a lot for Raila and it was his time to reciprocate. From there we knew he had short-changed Mudavadi and that is why we decided to look for a partnership with Ruto,” said Agoi. He also reportedly disclosed that Mudavadi has agreed with the deputy president to share government slots on half-half basis.
But yesterday, Agoi disputed the claims and pointed accusing fingers at their opponents. “I don’t remember uttering such words towards my Party Leader Mudavadi. These are pure lies and propaganda,” he said.
Mudavadi’s personal secretary Kibisu Kabatesi yesterday said he had been taken aback by Agoi’s sentiments, particularly coming from one of his closest associates and MP of his rural constituency. “Reports attributed to the Sabatia MP are his inaccurate views and don’t represent the position of ANC leader Mudavadi and his decision to partner with Ruto and Moses Wetangula,” said Kabatesi in a statement.
“There has never been a meeting where Mudavadi has confided such rationale. The MP misspoke on a matter he isn’t versed with,” the statement said.
Kabatesi added in the statement: “No candidate in the world going for high office can pretend to personally fund their campaigns” and that Mudavadi has wide local and international networks that could fund his campaigns for the presidency.
“Mudavadi was the originator of KKC to which he invited the other partners to join, “just like he did in 2017 when he created NASA”, said the statement.
It said the notion that any one partner joined the other was erroneous: “Whereas UDA dreams of empowering those at the lower end of our economy, ANC proposes economic revival that will put extra money into people’s pockets while Ford Kenya champions equity in access to development resources”.
The ANC leader said his satisfaction was the respite Kenyans would get from a government that cares about their economic well-being.
Yesterday, Agoi moved to defend himself, saying there were schemes by their opponents to break up the coalition. He disputed reports that he had said Mudavadi decided to join forces with Ruto due to lack of resources needed to mount a presidential campaign.
“For the past two days, the social media and some media houses have been abuzz with a message that I gave while in North East Bunyore which has completely been distorted,” Agoi protested in a statement.
The legislator disowned the sentiments earlier attributed to him.
