New political alliance in the offing ahead of 2022

 

A new political alliance bringing together four bigwigs is in the offing ahead of 2022 polls.

Party leaders Musalia Mudavadi (ANC), Kalonzo Musyoka (Wiper), Moses Wetang’ula (Ford Kenya) and Gideon Moi (Kanu) are said to be working on a new formation as they campaign for the Building Bridges Initiative.

The move has been seen to be part of a wider scheme to isolate ODM leader Raila Odinga. 

ANC deputy party leader Ayub Savula said the four will be working together before and after the expected referendum.

“After the referendum, leaders of the four parties will sit down and craft an alliance ahead of the 2022 polls. It will be open to like-minded leaders,” he said.

Savula said the parties will demonstrate their unity in the forthcoming by-elections in Matungu, Kabuchai and Machakos.

Raila has fielded a candidate in the Matungu MP by-election but Ford Kenya and Jubilee withdrew to support Mudavadi’s candidate. 

Jubilee pulled out, saying the decision was is in line with its position to unify the country through the BBI.

On Tuesday, Kalonzo flexed his political muscles in Machakos when he campaigned for the Wiper senatorial candidate, Agnes Kavindu and the BBI in the company of Mudavadi, Gideon and Wetang'ula.

Kalonzo, Mudavadi, Gideon and Wetang’ula are scheduled to go to Matungu to campaign for ANC candidate and Kabuchai for the Ford Kenya contender.

The current rift seems to have emanated from the dispute over the Political Parties Fund, the insistence by ODM to field a candidate in Matungu and remarks by its officials that Raila would not support Kalonzo, Mudavadi or Wetang’ula for the top seat in 2022.

ODM has maintained that it will not share money received from the Political Parties Fund to affiliates - ANC, Wiper and Ford Kenya.

It argued that coalition affiliates are not entitled to any monies since NASA boycotted the repeat presidential election in 2017.

Political analyst Advice Mundalo said Mudavadi, Kalonzo, Wetang'ula and Gideon seem determined to remain together.

“They are playing that card. They want to form an alliance to be stronger than Raila because none of them can beat him on their own,” Mundalo said.

He, however, said the alliance might disintegrate when the time of picking its candidate comes.

“It will not go far because it is a union of equals. Nobody will want to play second fiddle,” he added.

In December last year, Gideon said there were ongoing talks to ensure a team is built to produce Kenya's fifth President.

He said the team that will be birthed after the Building Bridges Initiative referendum, will travel the rest of the journey to the August 22 polls.

“We have a journey. The first journey is to ensure the BBI is passed and support President Uhuru Kenyatta," Gideon told a gathering of Kanu members in Samburu.

Mundalo, however, said the four have been brought together by frustrations and their union is emotional rather than strategic.

ODM secretary general Edwin Sifuna on the other hand maintained that politicians must stop asking Raila to support them in the 2022 elections.

“Join ODM if you want Raila to support you. Raila will only support you inside his house. There will be a free and fair nomination process and if you get the ticket, Raila will back your candidature,” he said.

Mudavadi has insisted that he will settle for nothing less than the presidency.

The ANC party leader said he stood with Raila in his presidential bids in 2007 and 2017 and it was time the ODM leader reciprocated.

Kalonzo on the other hand, has been claiming there is a secret pact between him and Raila that is supposed to see the ODM leader support his candidature in 2022.

Raila's party last week announced it was planning to unveil him as the 2022 presidential flagbearer.

The party has started selecting a presidential candidate - considered a procedural technicality - that would culminate in the endorsement of Raila as its 2022 flagbearer.