The Star (Nairobi)

Kenya: Mudavadi Should Face Jubilee Test


Musalia Mudavadi is a seasoned politician who has held senior cabinet portfolios under President Kibaki as well as his predecessor President Moi.

He has been a Vice President, is currently a Deputy Prime Minister in the coalition government, was deputy ODM party leader for four years, and was once Kanu vice chairman. In these positions, he was gained considerable experience and must have learnt that in politics, one must fight for what one wants.

But Mudavadi's recent demands, first in ODM and now in the Jubilee Alliance where he is a principal, leave many wondering whether he has learnt any lesson at all.

Before he left ODM for UDF, he claimed that the party wanted to lock him out of the presidential race through a clause that guaranteed the party leader automatic nomination.

But even after ODM agreed to change its constitution to accommodate him, he came up with other demands -- county-level nominations. He then bolted out of ODM.

Now in the Jubilee Alliance, Mudavadi wants a consensus mode instead of delegates system to nominate the presidential flag bearer for the Jubilee Alliance, in the hope that he would be the ultimate beneficiary. How certain is he that the consensus method will work in his favour? Why is he constantly looking for favours?

Mudavadi needs to accept the reality that in politics that nothing comes without work. He must put in hard work to convince the delegates to nominate him instead of trying to arm-twist his counterpart Uhuru Kenyatta to step down for him.

Quote of the day: "Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I will meet you there." -- Afghani mystic and poet Jalal ud-Din Rumi died on December 17, 1273 

