UHURU RUTO ENDORSING MUDAVADI

NAIROBI; KENYA: As the clock ticks towards the Tuesday deadline for the Jubilee Alliance to pick its presidential candidate, there are indications that Uhuru Kenyatta may borrow a leaf from Raila Odinga’s ‘Kibaki Tosha! political book and endorse fellow Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi.

With just a couple of hours before the Jubilee Alliance identifies its presidential flag bearer, the two combatants – Uhuru and Musalia – are ironically getting cosy in their new-found political friendship, although their allies on the other hand have been sending mixed

signals. While the ideal situation would be for the two to separately work overdrive in search for votes ahead of the delegates’ meeting, Uhuru and Mudavadi have instead opted to engage in a public display of political harmony.?

Their actions have confounded friends and foes with many asking whether the team has indeed already identified a presidential flag bearer. As we went to press, there were strong indications that this was the case, with some suggesting that Uhuru may be planning to endorse Mudavadi.

Ethnic alliance

Those pushing for Mudavadi argue that he helps to disabuse the perception that Jubilee Alliance is mainly a two-community affair – the Kikuyu and Kalenjin. Mudavadi, they also maintain, waters down the argument the grouping is vying on an International Criminal Court ticket (ICC). This is in reference to the Uhuru-Ruto pair who face charges of crimes against humanity.

Those pushing for Mudavadi argue that he helps to disabuse the perception that Jubilee Alliance is mainly a two-community affair – the Kikuyu and Kalenjin.

Uhuru, on the other hand, is credited for the relentless effort, including campaign and financial support, to create TNA and finally assemble the Jubilee Alliance. Besides, he has a comparatively larger following.

Trying to appease supporters

If this is the true position, then the Gatundu South MP already appears to be working towards the said goal. Granting a nearly one-hour long interview on Kameme FM last weekend, Uhuru directly engaged his supporters in central Kenya in the local Kikuyu dialect, preparing them to support Mudavadi if the nomination ticket goes to the Sabatia MP.

He repeated the same call later in the afternoon, when he went to register as a voter in Gatundu. According to Uhuru, the Sabatia MP and himself, are “friends and Kenyans”, and voters from his community should willingly vote for either.

Energy minister Kiraitu Murungi and Jimnah Mbaru, an aspirant for Nairobi’s Governor seat, equally support consensus as a way of stemming possible falling out from the competitive exercise.