Raila Odinga betrayed us in Nasa, say trio

 

Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party leader Raila Odinga and his allies in the National Super Alliance (Nasa) are embroiled in yet row over the 2022 succession.

Once partners who mounted a formidable campaign in the 2017 presidential election, Mr Odinga and his Nasa co-principals Kalonzo Musyoka (Wiper), Musalia Mudavadi (Amani National Congress) and Moses Wetang’ula (Ford Kenya) spilled the beans on their 2017 pre-election deal and the controversial swearing in of Mr Odinga in statements yesterday.

 In an apparent reference to the trio at a funeral in Ndhiwa, Homa Bay County on Saturday, Mr Odinga said that he would not endorse anyone for President.

But on Sunday, Mr Musyoka and Mr Mudavadi came out guns blazing, telling Mr Odinga they were not interested in his endorsement while accusing him of betrayal by “reneging on the Nasa agreement.”

Mr Musyoka yesterday said he does not require the blessings of the ODM leader in his bid so succeed President Kenyatta: “Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka is only seeking God’s endorsement,” he said during a church service at AIC Kyamutheke in Machakos County.

Presidential campaign

The former vice President seemed worked up by Mr Odinga’s latest declaration and an insinuation by ODM secretary general Edwin Sifuna that Mr Musyoka and Mr Mudavadi could not sustain a presidential campaign.

“You do not allow attack dogs to go and demean the integrity and characters of national leaders. We will expose you,” Mr Musyoka said. Mr Musyoka and Mr Mudavadi had earlier asked Mr Odinga to retire from politics and endorse one of them for President as payback for their support.

In a terse statement by his spokesperson Mr Kibisu Kabatesi, Mr Mudavadi said Mr Odinga was free to do as he liked.

“But he has no right to deny others their right to demand a political debt owed from him. Raila knows he duped colleagues into backing him in Nasa in 2017 under the false presence that, win or lose, he wouldn’t offer himself as a candidate,” read the statement in part.

He sensationally claimed that Mr Odinga “sneaked into Uhuru Park for his swearing in” and should not blame his colleagues for not attending. Mr Sifuna accused the co-principals of harbouring a “greedy desire to have (Mr) Odinga step down for them in the 2022 race.”

“After peddling the myth of an agreement to that effect, until it lost taste like all their sterile political narratives, they have now resorted to regurgitating it at funerals,” Mr Sifuna wrote in a statement to newsrooms on Sunday.  By DAILY NATION