Musalia Mudavadi, leader of the Amani National Congress (ANC), has stated that Kenya Kwanza is better placed to fight graft and run government than Azimio la Umoja -One Kenya.
Speaking in Mumias yesterday, the ANC party leader said the omission and avoidance of the word “corruption” during the Kenya Kwanza manifesto launch last week was not deliberate and did not mean they were pro-graft.
“We have given a statement on how the ports and port businesses in the country have been infiltrated by cartels. All that is talk about corruption stop saying that we did not talk about corruption during our manifesto launch for that means nothing,” he said.
He claimed the Azimio team, despite criticising Deputy President William Ruto, was not suited to fight graft or steer governance.
“It is laughable for president Uhuru Kenyatta to praise his Agriculture minister (Peter Munya) for containing the prices yet for the first time in the country’s history the price of unga is higher than that of sugar,” he said. We will reverse that when William Ruto ascends to the presidency,” he said.
Mr Mudavadi stated that Kenya Kwanza would vote President Kenyatta and his preferred presidential candidate Odinga out because “their time has passed.”
Former Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale lauded the ANC leader for abandoning his presidential ambitions to support Ruto, calling the decision “good for the country.”
“Mudavadi stepped down for Ruto and I stepped down from vying for Kakamega governorship to allow Senator Cleophas Malala to go for the seat. That gives us an opportunity to fight for the nation from different positions,” he said at Mumias Sports Complex during the launch of Mr Malala’s governorship campaigns.
Gladys Shollei, an Uasin Gishu Woman Representative who attended the event, said the senator was a promising leader who, along with Nairobi governorship aspirant John Sakaja, was being intimidated by lawsuits.
“The cases against Malala and Sakaja are politically motivated and I can assure you as a lawyer that they will die a natural death,” she said.
Two Kakamega voters, Fred Muka and Franklin Shilingi, have petitioned the High Court to block Mr Malala from running for governor due to questionable KCSE and degree certificates.
The Kakamega High Court halted the senator’s candidacy for Kakamega governorship but later lifted the orders pending a determination on whether his academic credentials are genuine.
Justice Patrick Otieno stated that the petition by two voters questioning the senator’s academic papers and seeking his disqualification from the race will be heard on the sidelines of his gazettement by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
Malala said that he was the better suited candidate to succeed Governor Wycliffe Oparanya.
“I was there in the first term of the devolved government and have devolution at the centre of my heart. I will do the good Oparanya did and rectify the mistakes he made in the two terms he served,” he said.
“I will eradicate cartels and ensure equity in county jobs so that everyone feels catered for,” he added.
The senator promised to ensure a school feeding programme for all secondary school day scholars and salary increment for ECDE teachers.
