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Mudavadi’s candidacy to be endorsed by ANC on Jan 23

Wednesday, January 5th, 2022 00:00 | By
ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi at a past Kenya Kwanza rally. PHOTO/File
ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi at a past Kenya Kwanza rally. PHOTO/File

Amani National Congress (ANC) has convened a delegates meeting to endorse its party leader, Musalia Mudavadi, to contest the presidency in the August elections.

In a notice issued by party secretary general Simon Kamau, Mudavadi will be endorsed by the National Delegates Council (NDC) at Bomas of Kenya on January 23.

The move will pave the way for Mudavadi to enter into any pre-election negoatiations for a coalition if he chooses to.

“Pursuant to the provisions of Article 16.4 (b) and Article 47 (2) of the constitution of the ANC and having duly consulted the party leader, I hereby convene the special meeting of the National Delegates Congress to be held at 9am on January 23 at the Bomas of Kenya, Nairobi,” the notice.

Mudavadi’s party will be the last of the One Kenya Alliance (OKA) affiliates to hold its NDC after Kanu, Wiper and Ford Kenya held theirs late last year.

The meeting will also be used to replace deputy party leader Ayub Savula who joined ODM leader Raila Odinga’s Azimio La Umoja Movement last week.

Apart from endorsing Mudavadi, the delegates will also ratify specific decisions of the Amani Council as well as amendments to the party Constitution.

Mudavadi is angling to fly the OKA flag, a coalition that brings together Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, Kanu’s Gideon Moi, Ford Kenya supremo Moses Wetangula and former Lugari MP Cyrus Jirongo.

His allies have insisted that he is the best bet to fly the OKA flag and run against Deputy President William Ruto and Raila.

The endorsement of Mudavadi on January 23, will bring to eight the number of presidential aspirants who have declared their intention to succeed President Uhuru Kenyatta.

Already Ruto, Raila, Kalonzo, Moi, Maendeleo Chap Chap leader Alfred Mutua, former United Nations Conference of Trade and Development  Director General Dr Mukhisa Kituyi, Makueni Governor Prof. Kivutha Kibwana and his Murang’a counterpart Mwangi wa Iria and gospel singer Reuben Kigame have declared they will be in the race.

Beautiful bride

Mudavadi has lately emerged as the most beautiful political bride that has attracted the attention of both Ruto and Raila.

However, Mudavadi avers that his ANC party has given him the mandate to vie for the presidency in the August polls.

“This January the NDC will be ratifying this decision. That is my position at now.

Kenya’s fifth president lies with the electorate and this will be determined through the ballot and not by a few individuals who want to hoodwink Kenyans to follow a certain direction,” said Mudavadi.

He went on: “Let people not put political ventilators on others. I want Kenyans to have an open mind.

We should now wake up to the fact that your enemy is not necessarily my enemy and your supporter is not necessarily my supporter.”

Running mate

His running-mate in the 2013 presidential race, Jeremiah Kioni (Ndaragwa), is urging Mudavadi to team up with Raila, and not fall for Ruto’s seduction.

“Mudavadi can go into any coalition (once the Political Parties Amendment Bill becomes law),” Kioni said on a local TV station during a recent morning breakfast show.

“But if he is swallowed by Ruto, then he will go into political oblivion. His side should be Azimio La Umoja,” Kioni charged.

Last year, during the burial of Mudavadi’s stepmother, Rosebella Jerono Mudavadi, which was held at Budira village in Vihiga county, Raila told mourners that he was sure he and Mudavadi would be on the same political side this year.

“Mudavadi and I go back a long way. We have been friends since we were in Opposition.

In 2013, he took a different path, and you know what happened. In 2017, we went hunting together, aimed at the animal but unfortunately, it disappeared into the forest and was devoured by hyenas. I had nothing left to share,” said Raila.

On Friday, the eve of the New Year, Ruto, during a surprise stopover in Kakamega where Senator Cleophas Malalah hosted a football tournament in Mumias, said he was ready to have Mudavadi on his side.

“I will speak with Mudavadi so that we can form the next government,” Ruto said.

But yesterday, Kibisu Kabatesi, Mudavadi’s spokesman, dismissed claims by Ruto and his allies as propaganda “made out of utter desperation.”

“Mudavadi has not entered into any talks with anybody outside OKA over the 2022 General Election and neither has he changed his determination to go all the way to the ballot.

Ignore all those speculations and if there is anything, you will hear it from the former Pice-President himself,” Kabatesi told People Daily.

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