NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 24 – Musalia Mudavadi has said his decision to pronounce his 2022 agenda on a Sunday was driven by the quest to vanquish “personality cults” that have transcended Kenya’s political landscape for decades.
The Amani National Congress (ANC) Party Leader who made a surprise announcement on Sunday after promising a “political earthquake”, said he picked the day because it signifies “a time for sacrifice and renewal.”
“We’re here; because we have transcended narrow individual agendas. We’ve begun the journey to end personality cults and the impunity that goes with them,” he told delegates and allies who included members of Deputy President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA).
He added the new political formation will seek to replace what he termed as personality cults with “elevated national goals, values and agendas.”
Speaking after an endorsement by ANC’s National Delegates Convention to present his candidature in the August 9 presidential election, or partner with a like-minded ally, Mudavadi said Raila Odinga’s Azimio la Umoja alliance was not an option.
“The ANC stand, which I am privileged to pronounce is that the specter called Azimio is not an option, when it comes to partnerships,” he stated.
In a thinly veiled reference, Mudavani described Odinga and his allies in Azimio as people who could not be trusted adding that those who choose to trust them do so at their own risk.
Mudavadi said his earthquake announcement was consistent with statements he made towards the end of 2021.
“On December 26, last year, I sent out a warning that it would not be business as usual, this year,” he stated.
Mudavadi’s characterization of Odinga mirrored remarks he made with then co-principals in the National Super Alliance (NASA) when they announced their exit for the alliance with Odinga’s ODM in July 2021.
Mudavadi, Wiper Party’s Kalonzo Musyoka and Ford Kenya’s Moses Wetangula accused Odinga of being an untrustworthy leader.
The trio moved on to form the One Kenya Alliance (OKA), once known as the Sacred Alliance, together with KANU’s Giedion Moi.
OKA however appeared to have disintegrated on Sunday after Musyoka and Moi walked out of Mudavadi’s meeting on learning ANC was set to unveil Ruto’s UDA as its new partner.
The two hastily walked out of Bomas of Kenya in Nairobi before issuing a statement saying they had parted ways with Mudavadi since “his friends are not our friends.”
Mudavadi’s dalliance with Ruto, although subtle, became evident in days leading to the January 23 announcement after a series of calculated decisions to disassociate himself with Odinga.
On December 10, 2021, for instance, Mudavadi declined to attend Odinga’s Azimio la Umoja Convention in Nairobi citing prior engagements.
Prior to Mudavadi’s decision to give the much-publicized event a wide berth, the ANC leader attended the wedding of Ruto’s daughter in May even as most politicians, including top government officials, shunned it.
Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja who made reference to the wedding on Sunday said Mudavadi’s camp will not allow others to dictate which leaders they must associate with.
“We cannot even politicize the wedding of an innocent child because some people think you cannot associate with her father,” he said.
