Musalia Mudavadi has narrated how President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy Dr William Ruto drove in one car to his city’s Riverside Drive home on December 4, 2012, in the company of Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala and politician Chirau Ali Mwakwere to inform him they would back his quest for State House.
At the time, Uhuru and Ruto had been indicted by the International Criminal Court and their presidential run was facing resistance from sections that argued they were not eligible to vie for the top seat, hence the pressure for them to back an alternative candidate.
In an exclusive interview with KTN’s Point Blank, the former deputy premier opened up about the political deal that aborted just before it could be made public, saying there was no way he could have rejected such an offer at a time he was scouting for political backing to succeed then President Mwai Kibaki.
The one-page agreement is said to have been signed in dramatic moments on the night of December 4, 2012, and would have seen Mudavadi fly the team’s presidential bid.
“I had declared my intention and I was doing my preparations to launch my campaigns formally, then these two gentlemen drove into my compound and declared their support for me,” disclosed Mudavadi.
The abortive deal in the run-up to the 2013 General Election committed Uhuru, who was meant to vie for the presidency using The National Alliance, to step down in favour of Mudavadi of the United Democratic Front party.
Titled “The Agreement between Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta and Wycliffe Musalia Mudavadi”, the pact read: “The two leaders of the coalition parties hereby agree as follows: 1. That Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta shall step down as the presidential candidate of the coalition, and 2. That Wycliffe Musalia Mudavadi shall be the coalition’s presidential candidate. These details shall be announced within 14 days from the date of signing.”
The document was signed by Uhuru, Mudavadi and Ruto in the presence of lawyers Desterion Oyatsi and Dan Ameyo.