Mudavadi: Uhuru-Raila peace deal caught me unawares

Amani National Congress (ANC) leader Musalia Mudavadi has said that he was not aware of the March 9 “handshake” between President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga.

In an interview with NTV on Sunday, Mr Mudavadi said that the pact between the two leaders “caught him by surprise”.

“I was caught unawares, just like anyone else. I had no prior knowledge, despite our much constant communication with Mr Odinga (as our NASA leader),” said Mr Mudavadi.

Mr Mudavadi, who was reluctant to say whether he supported the "handshake", insisted that he was happy that it had “brought political stability” in the country.

“From the beginning, we have been calling for dialogue so as to unify the country. I am happy with the result of the pact between the two leaders, because it has led to the country’s stability,” he said.

POLITICAL PACT

President Kenyatta and Mr Odinga reached a political pact on March 9, in a bid to “build bridges,” thus ending a period of political tension following the contentious October 27, 2017 repeat presidential election, which the Opposition boycotted.

Mr Mudavadi, however, cautioned legislators “rushing” to form political partnerships with the government. He said that despite their perceived political co-operation, Jubilee was still able to transact parliamentary business without the legislators due to its numerical strength.

EYEING PRESIDENCY

“I have warned MPs from my party who are joining the Jubilee bandwagon not to pretend that they are in government. Jubilee’s aim is to create an environment of political goodwill to enable them to implement their plans,” he said.

He says that he is working on strategies to vie for the presidency in 2022. The ANC boss maintained that Kenya is still in “need of proper leadership.”

“I support the President Uhuru Kenyatta’s government, though that does not stop me from laying strategies to prepare for the presidency, once he finishes his term,” he said.