NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 24- Presidential hopeful and National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi has broken the silence on why he did not attend the Amani National Congress national delegate event at the Bomas of Kenya in Nairobi, despite being a member of the One Kenya Alliance (OKA).
The event dubbed as the ‘Earthquake’ by ANC party leader Musalia Mudavadi has been termed as a game-changer, with more political alignments being expected ahead of the August poll.
In a Tweet, the Speaker said he had all along suspected Deputy President William Ruto would attend the meeting.
He said the ANC leader did not have “the courtesy to inform us.”
But it is not the presence of the Deputy President that was more worrying for him, he said, but what the two leaders would have announced.
All along, he said he was very suspicious, “of what they would declare.”
“Correctly we have seen the formation of another coalition with William Ruto, which we have never discussed at any time.”
Muturi is seeking to succeed President Uhuru Kenyatta as the fifth President of Kenya.
He will be flying the Democratic Party’s ticket.
His colleagues at the One Kenya Alliance were caught off-guard and had to make a quick dash out of Bomas before DP Ruto arrived.
Those who left included Wiper Leader Kalonzo Musyoka and KANU leader Gideon Moi. ODM presidential hopeful Jimmy Wanjigi also left.
Already, DP Ruto-led United Democratic Alliance party has moved into ink a post-election deal with Mudavadi and Moses Wetangula, of Ford Kenya.
“For the avoidance of doubt, let me state this in plain words: We may not know who is going with us, or who will be our comrades-at-arms on this mission, but we know who they will not be. They will not be those who cannot be trusted; those whom you trust at your own risk,” Mudavadi said.
In his speech on Sunday at the Bomas of Kenya in Nairobi, where delegates endorsed his presidential bid, Mudavadi spoke of political betrayal, vowing to only work with people he can trust.
“We have travelled with untrustworthy persons before. And even when we have given them another chance to redeem themselves, they have failed miserably, by returning to their old mischief. It is true, after all, that bad manners die hard,” he asserted.
ANC, he said, “shall no longer countenance the company of those who cannot be trusted. No, never again.”
“For the avoidance of doubt, the ANC stand, which I am privileged to pronounce is that the specter called Azimio is not an option.”
He said the Raila Odinga-led Azimio La Umoja alliance was not, after all, about unity.
“Azimio is about the self-preservation of some cunning individuals. The patterns are only too well-known and predictable,” he said.
“We have had enough of these self-preservation schemes. Tumechoka (We are tired). Enough is enough, TUSIDANGANYANE (Let us not lie to each other). We will not walk with you.”
DP Ruto has also indicated that he will be reaching out to more partners ahead of the General election.
On Monday he said, “the country has been given direction in regard to this year’s elections.”
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