Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala has dropped the clearest hint of a William Ruto-Musalia Mudavadi alliance for the August 9, General Election.
Speaking on Monday, January 17, on the NTV JIONI program, Malala seemed to be giving tough conditions of an ANC-AZIMIO alliance, while on the other hand giving UDA what could be termed realistic conditions.
Malala pointed out that he is ready to follow Mudavadi whichever route he takes be it joining Azimio or UDA, but with conditions.
“We will join Azimio if Raila (Odinga) steps down for Mudavadi, we’ll join UDA provided (Musalia) Mudavadi gets a government position,” Malala said in the interview.
One might ask how difficult is it for Deputy President William Ruto, to promise Mudavadi a government position, if that guarantees him ANC voters
The Kakamega senator revealed that as a senior member of ANC, he has advised his party leader to look for friends who can be trusted and willing to support him in what could be viewed as an attack against Raila.
The condition that Raila must sacrifice his presidential ambition for Mudavadi to join Azimio seems unrealistic as currently, it will be near impossible for the ODM leader to forego his presidential bid.
To signal that OKA is slowly disintegrating, Malala over the weekend disputed the OKA technical team’s report that had proposed Kalonzo (Musyoka) be the coalition’s flag bearer, saying ANC will not deputies anybody in OKA.
Mudavadi defends Kakamega Senator
Malala’s comments confirm rumors that some One Kenya Alliance (OKA) members are secretly supporting another presidential candidate.
Political pundits have suggested that Malala’s words should not be taken lightly as he might be silently passing Muadavadi’s message.
When the senator attended Ruto’s rally in Eldoret, ANC Secretary General quickly distanced the party’s involvement in Ruto’s Eldoret rally.
But on his part, Mudavadi defended the Kakamega senator saying the utterances of Malala during the rally were in order and therefore he cannot be reprimanded for his action.
“I cannot hold anything against Senator Malala, it is within his right. I don’t think he made any remarks that would in any way be inimical to this country,” Mudavadi said on Malala’s presence at the UDA rally in Eldoret.
More recently Malala had a lunch meeting with his main opponents in the Kakamega gubernatorial race, Bonny Khalwale a close ally of DP Ruto.
Malala’s recent moves clearly show that an alliance of Ruto and Mudavadi is in offing.
The question remains, could this be the big political statement that Mudavadi has promised to make on January 23?