As earlier stated the idea of undermining Mudavadi publicly will backfire . Nowonder Raila and ODM had to change tact and have their rallies on Sunday - still not a wise idea
the-star.co.ke/national/national/76962-stop-following-me-mudavadi-tells-railaStop following me, Mudavadi tells Raila
Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi has expressed outrage at what he believes is a strategy by Prime Minister Raila Odinga to stalk him. Mudavadi is accusing his boss and the ODM party of following him wherever he goes "in a bid to show we have no numbers". “This shameless habit of following me wherever I have meetings should stop once and for all. It shows some people have no agenda other than to follow Mudavadi around,” the DPM said.
Mudavadi spoke to the Star yesterday as it emerged that Raila will be leading an ODM team yet again to the DPM's backyard of Kakamega this weekend, after both held successful parallel rallies in Mombasa last weekend. This is the third time in three weeks that both Mudavadi and Raila face off following their fallout out within the Orange party a couple of months back.
In Parliament the two sides yesterday dashed to present a notice of motion seeking to form a select committee to hear out the Mombasa Republican Council. Barely hours after Jeremiah Kioni who is allied to Mudavadi's UDF filed a motion with the Clerk of National Assembly Patrick Gichohi notifying him of the motion, ODM through Budalangi MP Ababu Namwamba and the party’s chief whip Jakoyo Midiwo submitted its motion seeking to have a special committee of MPs created to listen to the MRC.
The Clerk’s office has however officially received the motion by Kioni while that of ODM is yet to be officially received. The UDF wants to create a 15-member committee that will listen to MRC and report to Parliament in three months while ODM wants an 11-member committee that will complete its work in two months. Raila's new lieutenants' lobby, calling themselves ODM Reloaded, denied they are following Mudavadi and said it was long in their plan to present the motion and tour Western Kenya this weekend.
The team is led by Housing assistant minister Margaret Wanjiru as the chairperson while members are Ababu Namwamba, Magerer Langat, Manson Nyamweya, assistant minister Hassan Joho, nominated MPs Rachel Shebesh and Millie Odhiambo and Gwasi MP John Mbadi. “We have a vision and the vision of ODM is Kenya; we are fulfilling this mandate by these programmes,” Wanjiru said.
Wanjiru who is the Starehe MP told Mudavadi to expect more rallies saying his foul cries "will not stop ODM from campaigning". Kioni accompanied by Mudavadi in Mombasa at the weekend publicly announced the plan by the party to bring a motion in the House seeking to establish a committee of MPs to listen to MRC.
The UDF wants members of the select commit to include Kioni (Ndaragwa), Shakila Abdalla (nominated), Rachel Shebesh (nominated), Isaac Rutto (Chepalungu), Thomas Mwadeghu (Wundanyi), Benedict Fondo (Bahari) and Isaac Muoki (Kitui South).
Others are Sheikh Dor (nominated), Peris Simam (Eldoret South), Leshomo Maison (nominated), Njoroge Baiya (Githunguri), George Nyamweya (nominated), Bonny Khalwale (Ikolomani), James Rege (Karachuonyo) and Najib Balala (Mvita).
The ODM wants members of the committee to include Ababu, Masoud Mwahima (Likoni), Omar Zonga (Msambweni), Ekwe Ethuro (Turkana Central), Martha Karua (Gichugu), Wilson Litole (Sigor), Shakila Abdalla, Rachel Shebesh (nominated), Joshua Kutuny (Cherangany), Maison Leshomo (nominated) and Gideon Mung'aro (Malindi).
And addressing the press at Parliament Buildings, MPs allied to UDF — who included Kioni, Khalwale, Nyamweya and Abdikadir Mohammed — accused ODM of hijacking the motion on MRC and asked that Speaker Kenneth Marende rules on the matter. While Kioni has said in his motion that MRC draws its membership mainly from the youth from Coastal region and that its activities have led to loss of life and properties, Ababu says in his that the platform for MRC to express itself has been frustrated. The ODM says the concerns of Kenyans in the Coastal region have not been adequately listened to.
This weekend, Mudavadi and Raila's programmes are likely to clash again when both hold meetings in Kakamega on Saturday. Mudavadi will be meeting leaders to plan his rally set for end-month in the area and says he was the first one to plan the meeting. Raila is set to hold a rally at the Masinde Muliro Grounds on Saturday before retreating to Kisumu on Sunday for another rally.
Mudavadi's allies, who include Housing minister Soita Shitanda and Khalwale, yesterday met to deliberate on the issue. “If you fear the heat, you have no business being in the kitchen,” said Ababu in reference to Mudavadi. Kanduyi MP Alfred Khang'ati, an ally of Raila, told Mudavadi to "stop crying foul and learn how to play politics". “If we will be in Masinde Muliro, let him organise a parallel rally in Bukhungu Stadium and see who has the numbers," said Khang'ati.
standardmedia.co.ke/?articleID=2000058664&story_title=Raila,%20Mudavadi%20head%20for%20Western%20Kenya%20rallies
Raila, Mudavadi head for Western Kenya rallies
By Martin Mutua and Allan Kisia
Prime Minister Raila Odinga and Musalia Mudavadi, one of his deputies in Grand Coalition’s pecking order, return to Western Province this weekend after their close brush at the Coast.
Their near-encounter at the Coast, where police had to create a buffer zone between their feuding supporters, was at the weekend but the return to Western rekindles memories of the last time they were there.
This was during the burial of Nairobi Mayor George Aladwa’s father on May 5 in Mudavadi’s Sabatia Constituency. After the confrontation between their supporters Mudavadi asked Police Commissioner Mathew Iteere to investigate Raila over claims he Aladwa’s father on May 5 in Mudavadi’s Sabatia Constituency.
After the confrontation between their supporters Mudavadi asked Police Commissioner Mathew Iteere to investigate Raila over claims he had ferried goons from Nairobi to the burial.
But in what appears to be a strategy to avoid a direct confrontation between their supporters, especially following Mudavadi’s claim in Mombasa that Raila’s team was stalking his party across the country, the PM last evening made a slight alteration to his itinerary.
Initially both presidential hopefuls were to hold separate meetings in Kakamega on Saturday, but last evening Raila moved his to Sunday, leaving the town to Mudavadi.
However, the sensitivity with which both groups are treating the Western Kenya vote basket stems from the fact that it is Mudavadi’s home-turf and Raila could be keen not be seen to be treating his former ally with a condescending attitude.
sanctioned
It is notable that Raila will be going to Western with Mudavadi still in DPM’s office and also Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) deputy leader, despite being sanctioned by ODM’s top decision-making organ to replace him at all levels.
Nonetheless Raila appears keen to demonstrate that he has not given up on this vote basket and that despite Mudavadi’s departure from ODM, he respects him and wants to avoid fanning perception he is antagonising the Sabatia MP and his supporters.
However, Mudavadi’s team is already up in arms charging that the PM and his team are again stalking them after the coastal parallel rallies.
They claim Raila’s rally in Kakamega was an ‘afterthought’, and was scheduled after they came to know the Sabatia MP had scheduled his.
The Deputy Prime Minister’s director of communications, Mr Kibisu Kabatesi, castigated the ODM’s decision to hold a rally in Kakamega on Saturday (before Raila moved it to Sunday) arguing this was a recipe for chaos.
“After we finalised preparations for our meeting in Kakamega with security organs, ODM found out and quickly organised a rally in Kakamega. This is in bad taste,” he stated.
He warned this ‘stalking’ by ODM could result in violence as rival supporters may clash.
“Are they going to follow us until people are hurt? Why can’t they organise their meetings elsewhere instead of stalking us?” he asked.
However, ODM MPs reacted angrily to the assertion that they were stalking Mudavadi. Budalangi MP Ababu Namwamba argued Mudavadi and his United Democratic Forum (UDF) party members were newcomers.
newcomers
“UDF is complaining that we are following them. They are newcomers and UDF is not a parliamentary party. We don’t regard UDF as a serious rival,” stated Ababu.
The Budalang’i MP further said it would be a waste of time for them to try to counter moves by UDF.
Ababu argued ODM would organise a caravan in various areas in Western to mobilise people and popularise the party ahead of the two rallies. He insisted ODM has its own programme. “If we happen to meet UDF in a region, then it will be by coincidence,” he went on.
He spoke at a press conference in Nairobi where he was accompanied by
Assistant minister Alfred Khang’ati and Sospeter Ojaamong as well as ODM MPs Wilbur Ottichilo, Alfred Odhiambo and Omondi Anyanga.
Khang’ati claimed UDF lacks agenda and has chosen to peddle lies. “In ODM, we will discuss corruption and integrity. We will talk about the Goldenberg and cemetery scandals,” he said.
Programme
According to an earlier programme released by ODM headquarters, Raila was to be in western on Saturday and Sunday to address two major rallies in Kakamega and Busia towns.
On Saturday Raila and his ODM ‘Reloaded’ team were to be at Muliro Gardens in Kakamega after a roadshow throw the streets and estates of Kakamega. But this is the activity that has now been moved to Sunday, confining Raila’s political activity on Saturday to Busia.
Shinyalu MP Justus Kizito, who is a Mudavadi ally, wondered why ODM keeps mentioning UDF if they do not consider it strong rival.
“Is it that when you quit ODM you suddenly become corrupt? Why change of tune?” Kizito asked.
Raila’s rally will be his first in Kakamega since Mudavadi quit the party and resigned from the Local Government docket.
He has since appointed Regional Development minister Fred Gumo who has roots in Western Kenya to act at the Local Government minister.
The move is viewed by observers as aimed at appeasing the western region that the docket is still intact for the region.
Gumo is a loyal ally of Raila and has come to the strong defence of the PM in the saga although he has not been antagonistic to Mudavadi as well.