By Anderson Ojwang’
The immediate former ODM Secretary Edwin Sifuna’s wave could also be sweeping into Mt Kenya, where he is gaining traction.
Sifuna, the Linda Mwananchi co-principal who is currently enjoying national traction and has declared his presidential intent, is seeing his wave sweep right into Mt Kenya and could be the trigger to a possible change of heart by the leaders from the region.
Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka was the preferred presidential candidate, but his laid-back characteristic could be dimming his stars in the mountain.
The recent Thika rally by Linda Mwananchi was a pointer to Mt Kenya opening up to Sifuna.
The “Sikiza Ground”
The slogan by Citizens for Democracy (DCP) – “sikiza ground” (listen to the ground) – has been the fulcrum in the politics of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
For Gachagua, ahead of his impeachment and after the axe, he took to “sikiza ground” and found the people of Mt Kenya had moved from President William Ruto and the UDA party which they voted for in the 2022 presidential election.
Gachagua jumped to the opportunity while other leaders from Mt Kenya slept in office, realigned with the masses, and ultimately became their leader.
And now again, Gachagua is listening to the ground in Mt Kenya, and that is why his deputy Cleophas Malala made a bold statement at the Linda Mwananchi rally in Busia.
Is Sifuna climbing the Mountain?
On Saturday in Busia, DCP Deputy Party Leader Cleophas Malala upped the stakes even higher after he declared that his party leader Rigathi Gachagua was ready to support Sifuna’s presidential bid.
“I want to say here that my party leader Rigathi Gachagua told me to tell Sifuna that he was ready to support his presidential bid,” he said.
This was a pregnant statement from Malala and could imply that Sifuna could be gaining sizeable support from the region.
On Friday, August 7, Malala had also spoken of bringing Gachagua and Sifuna together, arguing that an alliance between the two could produce a formidable opposition ticket.
“On behalf of the people of the Western Region, I will sit down with my brother Edwin Sifuna so that he can forge ties with Gachagua so that we can remove Ruto from office. When the two unite, we shall have victory,” he said.
This could be supported by Murang’a Governor Irungu Kangata openly endorsing Sifuna’s presidency and former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s confidant Pauline Njoroge resigning from Jubilee Party to join Linda Mwananchi.
Moribund Azimio La Umoja
The move by former President Uhuru Kenyatta to reactivate the moribund Azimio La Umoja has not gone down well with Mt Kenya.
The recent admission of parties from Mt Kenya into the coalition did not augur well with Gachagua and his allies.
For Gachagua and his allies, former President Uhuru Kenyatta was trying to call the shots in the opposition and positioning his allies and buddies into leadership positions while they have no following.
Wiper Leader Kalonzo Musyoka wrote after the meeting: “We resolved to reorganise and rebrand Azimio, welcomed Dr Fred Matiang’i, Peter Munya and Lenny Kivuti into the Azimio Council, and extended invitations to the Democratic Action Party Kenya (DAP-K) led by Hon. Eugene Wamalwa, Umoja na Maendeleo Party (UMP) led by Governor Kawira Mwangaza, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) led by Omingo Magara, and the Democratic Party (DP) led by Speaker JB Muturi to join our growing coalition.”
He said the Council also mandated him to continue engaging like-minded political formations, including the Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP), the People’s Liberation Party (PLP), the United Green Movement (UGM), and Linda Mwananchi upon its registration, as they continue building a broad national movement.
But MP James Gakuya dismissed the overture, saying DCP had no space for the coalition.
“Personally, and the whole fraternity of DCP, we have no space in Azimio. Even going forward, we cannot recognise it at all,” he said.
He said the opposition should work on a new coalition outfit and not Azimio La Umoja.
“If we are going to make any formation going forward, it should not be Azimio at all. That one we are going to reject in totality. We cannot allow ourselves to be fixed to that particular cocoon. As DCP, we cannot even dare to be part of Azimio on a single day,” he said.
Unifying factor
Gachagua said he was the uniting factor in the united opposition and was ready to sacrifice his presidential ambition.
This pregnant statement gives credence to Malala’s weekend pronouncement that Gachagua was ready to support Sifuna.
“I will make whatever necessary sacrifice to make Ruto a one-term president. Even if it means I forgo my own bid, I will do so. We must go to the people. We cannot remove him from hotels, workshops, and seminars. Our difference is when to name the candidate – JB Muturi says now, while Kalonzo says December, and Riggy says next year,” he said.
