Details have emerged of why Amani National Congress (ANC) leader Musalia Mudavadi’s camp resolved to sever links with deputy president William Ruto and support President Uhuru Kenyatta as they seek to put their best foot forward ahead of 2022 election.
On Wednesday, ANC party reportedly held its parliamentary group (PG) meeting at Panafric Hotel in Nairobi where, among other things, they resolved to dissociate themselves from the DP.
“The parliamentary group meeting on Wednesday also resolved that no party MP will associate with DP William Ruto’s Tangatanga brigade,” Lugari MP Ayub Savula, who is also the party’s deputy leader, said.
PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEES
The Saturday Nation has learnt of the behind-the-scenes consultations that culminated in the Wednesday meeting, which made some “far-reaching recommendations”. According to insiders who spoke to Nation, the ANC party was stung by the re-organisation of the parliamentary committees which saw its members removed from plum committees.
“Only nominated MP Godfrey Osotsi bagged three powerful committee seats courtesy of his support for ODM and the handshake,” said an MP over their change of heart.
Mr Savula, the ANC deputy leader, lamented the perception that Mr Mudavadi’s camp has been ganging up with Mr Ruto to fight the President. “We decided to throw our weight behind the President and dissociate 100 per cent from any engagement with Mr Ruto.”
“We don’t want to interfere with the President’s development agenda,” Mr Savula said yesterday.
The changes in committees left Khwisero MP Christopher Aseka (ANC) in only one. His Butere counterpart Tindi Mwale was ousted from the energy committee while Vihiga Woman rep Beatrice Adagala was moved from the powerful Justice and Legal Affairs Committee (JLAC).
Mr Osotsi said that ANC legislators had panicked and resolved to put pressure on Mr Mudavadi to change tack and embrace the President, and dissociate from engagement with Mr Ruto. “They have been the heaviest casualty in the sharing of committees after Tangatanga,” he said.
WESTERN TOURS
The former ANC secretary general also revealed that the party’s brigade has been meeting resistance from the public during their Western tours, hence the need to embrace the President and Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya’s team.
The ANC PG, Mr Savula said, had resolved not to attack Mr Oparanya, Devolution Cabinet secretary Eugene Wamalwa and Cotu boss Francis Atwoli.
But Mr Osotsi said that was a tactical move after the team realised they could not make it in western without the trio, thanks to ODM leader Raila Odinga’s influence.
Mr Savula said: “We cannot work with Ruto because he is unpopular in western. As things stand now, the ratings in western have Musalia at position one, Tinga (Raila) at position two and Ruto at position three. So working with Ruto is tantamount to losing as early as 6am.”
Mr Osotsi cited a recent meeting between Mr Mudavadi’s close associate Eliud Owalo and Mr Ruto, stating the ANC team has been working with Tangatanga and now want to run away from the camp after sensing danger.
The Nation also understands the ANC party has been reaching out to senior state operatives for help after “the Registrar of Political Parties failed to approve its three resolutions to expel Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala, overhaul the party’s constitution and extend the tenure of its officials by three years”.
ALIENATE RAILA ODINGA
ODM deputy party leader Wycliffe Oparanya said there is no way ANC can claim to work with the President and alienate ODM leader Raila Odinga. “I know some of them want positions in Kakamega and that is why they are now pretending that they have resolved to go slow on attacking me, Mr Atwoli and Mr Wamalwa.”
“I want to tell them that this cannot happen when they continue attacking my party leader Raila Odinga,” said Mr Oparanya.
ANC secretary-general Barrack Muluka said: “First we are not working with Ruto. We never did. Second, we have never had problems with Oparanya and Atwoli. They are the ones who suddenly began attacking the party boss at their Ebukwala meeting in December. They were completely unprovoked.”