After 10 years in the political cold, it is make or break for ODM leader Raila Odinga, Wiper’s Kalonzo Musyoka and Musalia Mudavadi of Amani National Congress in the 2022 presidential race.
Having left government in 2013 where Raila served as prime minister, Kalonzo as vice president and Mudavadi as deputy prime minister, the trio must fight to remain politically relevant. The leaders will face off with Deputy President William Ruto in the race to succeed President Uhuru Kenyatta in the August 9, 2022, General Election.
They must ensure that their political arithmetic adds up and propels them to power given that in 2027, Raila will be 82 years old, Kalonzo 73 and Mudavadi 66, and may face a monumental challenge from the aggressive youthful politicians.
“The three politicians are working very hard towards political oblivion, they are using the same old tactics, the same path without new ideas, no strategy to charm new voters,” said political analyst Javas Bigambo.
He noted that Raila has a talent of reinventing himself but lacks the charm to woo new voters.
“After all those State House meetings, and their boardroom talks, they have come up with little new, they are in slumber when Ruto, their main competitor, is covering ground. They should be outside there winning the new voters so that when they consolidate they do that with strength,” said Bigambo.
He added; “By every passing day, time is running out on them, yet voters want to know what they stand for and what they will do differently if they get the presidency and not just banking on Uhuru to endorse them.”
Yesterday, Raila pitched camp in Murang’a while Mudavadi was in Githunguri in Kiambu to woo the vote-rich Mount Kenya region. Kalonzo was in Pipeline, Embakasi South Constituency, Nairobi, at a church function.
President Kenyatta has in two separate meetings warned the trio that unless they unite, it will be an uphill task to beat Ruto in the August poll.
On Friday, Registrar of Political Parties Ann Nderitu announced that the NASA coalition was officially dissolved, ending the political marriage of Raila, Kalonzo, Mudavadi and Ford Kenya party leader Moses Wetang’ula.
Already, Kalonzo, Mudavadi and Wetang’ula are working on a new outfit, One Kenya Alliance (OKA), that also brings on board Baringo Senator Gideon Moi. During two meetings at State House Mombasa, the President’s efforts to convince the OKA principals to enter into a political arrangement with the ODM leader in next year’s polls did not bear fruit.
While running for the 2017 presidential race, Raila had promised to back one of the NASA principals in the next elections, but he now wants to make a fifth stab at the presidency.
Kakamega Senator Cleopa Malala said: “We have asked Mudavadi that this is the right time for him to claim the presidency. He should not agree to play second fiddle; time is running out on him.”
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