CORD Principals Raila Odinga (centre), Kalonzo Musyoka (left) and Moses
Wetang'ula hold hands in show of coalition unity at Laico Regency Hotel,
Nairobi, on April 9, 2016 where they gave their version of State of the
Nation address. PHOTO | JEFF ANGOTE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
Forum for the Restoration of Democracy (Ford-Kenya) leader Moses
Wetang’ula was not part of a political deal on who between Mr Raila
Odinga and Mr Kalonzo Musyoka will be Cord’s presidential candidate in
2017, two senators said on Tuesday.
Mr Johnson Muthama
and Mr James Orengo told Ford-Kenya politicians to stop commenting on
the 2013 memorandum of understanding between Mr Odinga and Mr Musyoka
because their party leader was not involved in the negotiations.
According
to the deal, Mr Musyoka was to support Mr Odinga’s presidential bid in
2013 on the understanding that Mr Odinga would reciprocate after one
term.
Just like Mr Odinga and Mr Musyoka, Mr Wetang’ula
is seeking to be the Cord presidential candidate, and yesterday’s
revelation could come as a blow to his quest for the coalition’s ticket.
At
the weekend, his ally, Kiminini MP Chris Wamalwa, told a rally in
western Kenya that the MoU should be used to pick Cord’s presidential
candidate ahead of next year’s election.
When Mr
Wetang’ula was launching his presidential campaign in Kakamega on April
2, he was accompanied by Mr Musyoka. However, Mr Odinga skipped the
event and went to Tanzania.
“You remember that we had
an MoU in the coalition that said that Mr Odinga will hand over to Mr
Musyoka,” the Kiminini MP told the weekend rally.
GENERATE DEBATE
On
Tuesday, however, Mr Muthama of Wiper Democratic Party and Mr Orengo of
ODM, told him to stay away from the MoU because Ford-Kenya was not
party to it. The two are the co-chairmen of the Cord management
committee. Their Ford-Kenya counterpart, Mr Eseli Simiyu, did not attend
yesterday’s press conference.
“The MoU was between Mr
Odinga and Mr Kalonzo. The only other people who saw it were myself, Mr
James Orengo, Mr David Musila and the late Mr Mutula Kilonzo and the two
principals,” Mr Muthama told a press conference at Mr Odinga’s Capitol
Hill Centre office in Nairobi.
The revelation is likely
to generate debate within Cord as member parties race to provide a
strong candidate to face off with President Uhuru Kenyatta, who will be
seeking re-election. Mr Kenyatta is this weekend expected in Nakuru to
lead a thanksgiving rally after the ICC dropped charges against his
deputy, Mr William Ruto. The two are widely expected to launch their
re-election bid the same day. Mr Kenyatta will thereafter lead a
three-day Cabinet retreat in Naivasha.
In a joint
statement read by Mr Muthama, the two said: “We note with concern that
most of the vocal MPs on this matter are the lot that has long
characterised themselves as rebels and who have since stopped
participating in the activities of the coalition.”
The
statement also warned that disciplinary measures would be taken against
errant members making inflammatory remarks meant to create cracks in the
opposition.
The two also urged Cord presidential
aspirants to stop seeking endorsement from each other. According to
them, the entire coalition will be involved in nominating its candidate.
MPs commenting on the MoU were rebels already working with the ruling Jubilee Coalition, they said.
In
a rejoinder, Dr Wamalwa urged the Cord management committee to quickly
address the emerging differences and warned that nasty speeches being
made by ODM supporters — including Kakamega governor Wycliffe Oparanya —
could lead to cracks in Cord. Mr Oparanya is the ODM deputy party
leader and had opposed Mr Wetang’ula’s bid to launch his campaign in
Kakamega. The launch was marred by violence.
Ford-Kenya is expected to hold its National Executive Council meeting either today or tomorrow to discuss the new development.
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