By Phil Wesonga
Mudavadi is a disgrace. A liability to Western.
This is laughable. Eti Mudavadi reportedly ruled out an alliance with CORD Leader Raila Odinga, and further falsely alleged that he was locked out of the ODM party forcing him to defect to UDF, a party that he was GIVEN as compensation package for defecting from ODM! Its now 25 years of Mudavadi being given!
And again, historical facts cannot be changed. Typical of KANU babies who were not used to political and democratic competition, but preferred being GIVEN positions, Mudavadi was appointed V-P and handed KANU deputy party leader in 2002. We remember Kibaki whitewashing Uhuru in 2002 and consigning Mudavadi to the political graveyard.
Raila Odinga was wholly responsible for Mudavadi’s rehabilitation as a politician after he was rejected by voters in 2002, when he stood as running mate to KANU’s Uhuru Kenyatta. Raila told us then, slipping is not falling, meaning that Mudavadi only slipped by joining KANU but he did not fall and we should thus embrace him in ODM.
Fast forward to 2007, again to be GIVEN ahead of a more deserving Ruto, Mudavadi was nominated as Deputy ODM party leader by, given Local Govt Ministry by the Prime Minister. These appointments coincided with others to Luhya sons and daughters. For instance, Otuoma, Gumo, Oparanya, and later Ababu were all made cabinet ministers by Raila, in addition to nominating Marende to speaker of parliament. As if that ws not enough, the party stood by Mudavadi especially when he was targeted for a parliamentary censure motion on the cemetery scam.
Mudavadi committed taboo, when he made a brazen attempt to try and bribe a dying Martin Shikuku on his deathbed. Mudavadi wanted an endorsement from the old man. He carried money in cartons. Shikuku rejected the bribe and chased him and Kombo, Kituyi away. Shikuku had been abandoned at KNH and it is Raila who transferred him to the private Texas Cancer Centre in Hurlingham before Mudavadi could think of attempting to bribe him.
Raila remains a preferred candidate in Western not because of his ethnic origins but he presents just about the only hope to deliver Kenyans from the forces of status quo. Raila beat Mudavadi comprehensively in 2013 elections, not just nationally but also in counties within Luhyaland.
At least we can see Odinga fighting for social justice and defending devolution which is changing villages in the grassroots. What is Mudavadi as an individual doing to uplift standards of living in Western?
The thankless Mudavadi, voluntarily left ODM to his given UDF in 2012. He was tricked into signing an agreement with Uhuru Kenyatta – where he was to be GIVEN an uncontested presidential ticket, but that too was flushed down the toilet as soon as he left ODM. Mudavadi had his eyes set on scattering the ODM. But the people thought otherwise.
Thereafter, still Mudavad prostituted himself and rushed to jump to bed with the coalition of suspects, signing a premature post election coalition agreement with Jubilee. One and half years down the road, Western has nothing to show from this alliance, no political dividends at all.
Mudavadi should spare the people of Western the empty rhetoric and start being accountable. He must not be allowed to scapegoat using Raila’s name! He must show what his record is in the last 25 years he has been given leadership positions. He should not mislead Ababu Namwamba to follow him into his doomed political path.