Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka and Prime Minister Raila Odinga chat after meeting President Kibaki at KICC at a previous function. Photo/CHRIS OJOW
The Kibaki succession on Friday dominated meetings, with top presidential aspirants clashing over who was the most popular candidate.
Prime Minister Raila Odinga and Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka sparred over who between them should drop their presidential bid to join the other.
In a manner reminiscent of their battles ahead of the split of ODM-Kenya in the lead up to the last General Election, Mr Odinga and Mr Musyoka each claimed to be more popular and better suited to succeed President Kibaki than the other.
They were speaking at functions in Makueni and Meru counties, respectively.
In Kiambu, Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta was endorsed to vie for the presidency by speakers during the funeral of former Cabinet minister Arthur Magugu.
Vote to a man
Lari MP David Njuguna led the chorus for Mr Kenyatta’s candidacy, declaring that central Kenya would vote for the The National Alliance (TNA) party leader to a man.
“When you go to a dance, you do a jig with the one who belongs to you. He (Mr Kenyatta) is ours and we will support him for the presidency,” Mr Njuguna said at Komothai PCEA Church.
In Emali, Mr Odinga said he was ready to work with Mr Musyoka and other Kamba leaders. He said ODM was already working with Pick’s Harun Mwau, Narc leader Charity Ngilu and Mr Kalembe Ndile of Tip.
But Mr Musyoka, in a statement by his Personal Assistant, Mr Kaplich Barsito, said: “Raila Odinga left ODM-K for ODM after sensing defeat; he is the one who should return to ODM-K, now Wiper Democratic Movement, and compete.”
To avoid a repeat of the 2007 fiasco, Mr Musyoka told Mr Odinga: “If he is beaten in the nomination, he should accept defeat.”
The VP asked his rivals to back his bid: “I heard that the PM has asked me to join ODM and I am telling him to rejoin ODM-K, now Wiper Democratic Party, which he left before the last General Election.”
Speaking in Igembe North Constituency, Meru County, Mr Musyoka said he would not give up his presidential bid. He said if elected, he would fight corruption and implement the Constitution to the letter.
Earlier, the Vice-President promised to work with the Alliance Party of Kenya and TNA to win the next elections.
Accompanied by area MP Ntoitha M’Mithiaru and parliamentarians Dan Muoki as well as assistant minister Peter Munya, he urged Kenyans to respect each other and ensure a peaceful election.
But Mr Odinga said ODM will radically transform the country if it takes power next year. He said coalition politics slowed the party down and forced it to compromise on some of the programmes it had for the country.
The PM blamed the spate of strikes in the public sector on failed policies of past decades but said teachers would resume work on Monday.
“We don’t want a situation where workers have to go on strike for them to get better pay,” said the Premier. “These really are results of past bad policies.
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