Former vice president Musalia Mudavadi has assembled a team of fake technocrats as his political think tank as he aggressively musters a formidable 2022 political machine.
After the disintegration of Nasa, Mudavadi has quietly been rolling out his 2022 presidential plan while building his profile as the only credible opposition voice in the post-handshake era.
It has said that Mudavadi has tapped into political think tanks, some of which previously sunk Raila Odinga presidential campaigns.
The 15-member think tank includes Eliud Owallo, the man who mismanaged Raila’s 2013 presidential campaigns.
Also advising Mudavadi is lawyer Sam Karanja who chaired Jubilee’s Appeals Tribunal that is blamed for being a Ruto tool that saw many top leaders from Mt Kenya lose Jubilee nominations on interference of Ruto.
Others are little known Eric Wafukho, George Musyoka and David Kabeberi.
Wafukho, a leadership and governance consultant, served on the Nasa Policy, Research and Strategy Team in 2017.
Musyoka, on the other hand, was the 2017 Team Uhuru campaign coordinator for Machakos, Makueni and Kitui counties for the Jubilee Party and President Kenyatta’s presidential campaign, his strategy earned Uhuru zero votes in Ukambani, bure kabisa!
Kabeberi, an accounting and financial expert, was involved in Kibaki and Uhuru’s campaigns as a political strategist, especially in fundraising
To manage his communication unit, the ANC Party leader recently hired a showbiz personality Jimmi Gathu as his new media liaison boss, one wonders what experience Gathu brings on board in terms of political message since he has zero experience. 2022 is not Tursker Project Fame!
The so called think tank comprising of Owalo, Jimmy Gathu among others’ mandate is to develop new political strategies and come up with what some insiders have described as a new “unstoppable” Mudavadi”… really? hahaha
He has also set up a presidential campaign secretariat on posh Riverside Drive in Nairobi, away from the ANC offices in Lavington.
Having become MP at only age 28, Mudavadi is a wealthy man but very mean and can hardly finance a good political campaign from his personal resources.
He also has deep connections with Kenya’s wealthiest families including ex-President Daniel Moi’s family.
Musalia has failed to solidify his Luyha bloc. He can only manage to sit at the negotiating table if he puts the Luyha vote under lock and key. Well, he has failed to do this since 2002!
Some powerful individuals close to State House are said to be fronting Mudavadi as a compromise candidate after President Uhuru Kenyatta retires in 2022.
However, Mudavadi once bitten by such boardroom endorsement is twice shy. Still, he’s optimistic.
“From what happened in 2013 when Uhuru and Ruto dumped him at the last minute, MM [Musalia Mudavadi] cannot wait for any endorsement or political favour from anyone,” a source aware of his political strategy said.
In 2012, Uhuru and Ruto signed a deal to support Mudavadi for the presidency but later disowned the deal, with Uhuru saying he was forced to sign the agreement after being blackmailed by “dark forces”.
In an exclusive interview with the local media last month, Mudavadi said he would be on the ballot in 2022 and pledged never to step down for anyone.
“I want you to hear it from the horse’s mouth, I will be running,” a confident MM said.
“I believe I have a lot that I can offer this country. I have the requisite experience and 2022 is clearly my year. I believe in myself, I have the confidence that Kenyans have had an opportunity to look at some of the characters that are planning to contest,” he said.
Mudavadi’s think tank members believe his closest rival is Deputy President William Ruto but they have not ruled out the possibility of Opposition chief Raila Odinga contesting.
Raila has remained tight-lipped on his own political game plan and not even his close allies know what he has up his sleeve.
Mudavadi claims Ruto’s political overtures in Western are inconsequential, saying his so-called allies from the region are only after his fat wallet.
“The frequency of visits does not guarantee you votes,” Mudavad said. “Some people are just interested in the wallets of some of these visitors. There is no serious political partnership being built. It’s a commercial arrangement.”
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