Mudavadi trains eyes on 2032 State House bid as colleagues scramble for Kindiki’s seat

Saturday witnessed two contrasting events with subtle political ramifications in Western Kenya.
On one hand, Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi was in Alemem, Egypt, representing Kenya at a high-level business engagement.

On the other, Co-operatives Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Oparanya was hosting a delegation of Luo leaders, including Raila Junior, the son of former Prime Minister the late Raila Odinga, Government Spokesman Charles Owino and Jaoko Oburu, the son of Siaya Senator Dr. Oburu Oginga at his Mobile home in Butere, Kakamega county.

It was clear during the Oparanya event that the former Kakamega Governor was using it to up his stakes in the crave to be named as President William Ruto’s running-mate in the 2027.

In fact, Owino who accompanied the President and Mudavadi for one week a fortnight ago to New York to attend the annual United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), was more blunt in Butere.

The Government spokesman dismissed the entire political leadership in Western Kenya, save for Oparanya whom he described as “the only leader we still have this side,” adding that “should something come your way we shall indeed be very happy.”

While Oparanya intensifies his clamour replace current office holder Kithure Kindiki , Mudavadi has studiously kept off the jostle for the position of Deputy President, instead electing to focus on his prescribed State responsibilities and Ruto’s re-election next year.

Mudavadi, who is also the Minister for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs is currently on national duty in Egypt, attending the inaugural Alamein Africa Business Forum and the 8th Mid-Year Ministerial Co-ordinating Meeting of the African Union in El Alamein city.

The former Vice-President has repeatedly pronounced himself on the 2027 General-Election by declaring that he would be throwing his weight behind Ruto’s bid for a second term in office while readying himself for his own go at the same seat five years later.

Last month, Mudavadi went to Kindiki’s defence by declaring that the seat the former Senate Deputy Speaker currently occupies is not vacant and therefore not worth triggering any competition.

While at a public function in Kindiki’s Tharaka-Nithi home turf, Mudavadi distanced himself from the second-in-command position, insisting that apart from it not being vacant it’s occupation is only courtesy of a presidential prerogative.

For the umpteenth time, Mudavadi has maintained that he has no desire to be appointed Vice-President, arguing that he has held that position before and he can only seek for a higher position.

Mudavadi’s exclusion from the scramble for the Deputy President’s position leaves Oparanya and Speaker of the National Assembly Moses Wetangula as the most notable key campaigners for the seat, though Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga and Mining Minister Ali Hassan Johor have peripherally been linked to the post.

Oparanya and Wetangula have for the better part of this year converted what was intended to be a regional campaign for President Ruto’s re-election bid in Western Kenya next year into a personalised agitation to topple Kindiki from the Number Two perch.

At public rallies dabbed as funds-drives for women and youth empowerment, both Oparanya and Wetangula in the recent past traversed the Luhyia political landscape incessantly demanding separately – through sidekicks – that Ruto names them as his running-mate in the 2027 State House contest.

While Wetangula deploys Members of Parliament from his Ford Kenya party to advance his aspirations, Oparanya has the ready foot soldiers of lawmakers from the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) drawn from Kakamega County to do his bidding

Noticeably, however, the duo’s vigorous push to replace Kindiki has seriously undermined Ruto’s desire to consolidate the vote-rich Mulembe Nation counties of Kakamega, Bungoma, Busia, Vihiga and Trans-Nzoia counties into one basket.

President Ruto himself has not pronounced himself on the matter, thus leaving many questions begging as to why the pair is earnestly pushing for Kindiki’s replacement.

That notwithstanding, their ceaseless demands have reportedly not boded well with certain top luminaries within Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA) who view their approach as outright blackmail.

Wetangula’ is the Party Leader of Ford Kenya, one of the political outfits that teamed up with UDA in 2022 to form the victorious Kenya Kwanza Alliance.

Oparanya is an immediate former Deputy Party Leader of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), a position he relinquished after being appointed to the Cabinet by President Ruto.

Wetangula’ has resisted all attempts to have him dissolve his Ford Kenya party and merge it with UDA in the same way that Mudavadi did with his Amani National Congress (ANC) two years ago.

The former Sirisia MP has also thwarted repeated calls to hand over the Party Leader’s baton to someone owing to possible conflict of interest, arguing that the constitution does not bar him.

On his part, Mudavadi has time and again distanced himself from the Deputy President debate.

He has maintained that his focus remains on taking the presidential baton from Ruto in 2032 and not angling for positions lower than that.

Two months ago, he told a public rally Trans-Nzoia that the position of Deputy President is no longer attractive to the Western Kenya electorate given that it has previously been held on three separate occasions by members of the Luhyia community, he included.

“Let it be known to everyone that I am not seeking to be Deputy President. I am looking for something bigger. I will be supporting President William Ruto to retain his seat next year. Thereafter I will be preparing to take the mantle from him when he retires in 2032. I am looking for the ultimate prize,” he declared.

Posed the former Deputy Prime Minister: “Haven’t we had enough of that? Why should we want to be Deputy President again? I have been there before. The late Michael Kijana Wamalwa has been there.

Mzee Moody Awori has been there too. What is there to still excite me? My focus is beyond being Deputy President. I am working hard to ensure that President Ruto gets his second term after which I will enter the arena aiming to succeed him in 2032.”

It remains to be seen whether Ruto will yield to the demands from Wetangula and Oparanya, and if so who among them would the Head of State settle for.

However, what remains noticeable at the moment is that their forceful fights for the Deputy President’s position have gravely dented campaigns for President Ruto’s re-election bid in Western Kenya.