Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala has demanded that ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi be named the running mate to Deputy President William Ruto for the coming August General Election.
Speaking in Kakamega on Saturday, March 12, the outspoken senator, took issue with Mt Kenya leaders who have insisted that the running mate slot is reserved for the mountain region.
“This time we are giving a demand that this is a coalition of parties (Kenya Kwanza), this is not a coalition of regions,
Cleophas Omondi Malala has finished the money he was paid to lure Mudavadi and Weta to UDA… he wants more. He will bankrupt Ruto
— Azimio la Umoja (@RailaTosha2022) March 12, 2022. OR, could it be that he has realized that he was misled and in turn he misled MDVD? pic.twitter.com/Btwf5oWdNj
“Watu wasikae mahali Pamoja waseme ati kwa sababu wao wameakaa kwa mulima hao wanatosha kuwa naibu wa raisi kuliko sisi hapa chini” (People should not seat together and say that because they come form the mountain then they deserve to be the deputy president more than us here), Malala said.
“As the party we are saying, if UDA produces the Presidential candidate, ANC must take the deputy president slot,” Malala stated.
The vocal senator further said that all hopefuls for the running mate positions in Kenya Kwanza should be interviewed so as to identify the best candidate.
“When they will be selecting the deputy president for Kenya Kwanza, Musalia and Rigathi Gachagua should be interviewed to see who understands matters of the economy,” the senator added.
The harsh stand by the outspoken senator come a few weeks after Mathira MP Rigathi Gachagua said that the Mt Kenya region will produce running mate to DP Ruto.
Speaking on Citizen TV morning program on Monday, February 28, Gachagua had ruled out the possibility of Musalia Mudavadi being Ruto’s running mate.
“As far as am concerned there is a general consensus that William Ruto is our Candidate and the running mate will come from Mt Kenya,” Gachagua said.
“When they came for discussion, we were very forthright with Musalia and Wetang’ula. They were told that we have already our own discussion and we have agreed that the running mate is for the mountain so as you come it’s good that you know and they came with that knowledge,” Gachagua had stated.