Deputy Prime Minister and minister for Local Government Musalia Mudavadi will today announce his political vehicle he intends to use to clinch the presidency.

 

Making the announcement during this year’s Labour Day celebrations on Tuesday at Uhuru Park in Nairobi, Mudavadi said after keeping his followers guessing for long, he will be giving them direction on the next move.

 

In the recent times, Mudavadi has been linked to various parties such as New Ford Kenya a party whose ticket Justice Minister Eugene Wamalwa has declared will use to seek to be the fourth president of the Republic of Kenya.

 

Mudavadi has also been linked to UDFP, a party comprising of youthful politicians like Abdikadir Mohammed.

 

Tomorrow’s announcement will definitely bring to an end speculation over Mudavadi’s political future after he fell out with Prime Minister Raila Odinga over a clause in the ODM’s Constitution which gives Raila a direct presidential ticket.

 

His announcement comes at a time when his supporters across the country including those from Lugari have had mixed reactions over his impending exit from ODM. 

 

A section of ODM supporters from Lugari district have distanced themselves from recent remarks made by Lugari branch ODM chairperson Mr. Nabii Daraja Nabwera where he openly declared his support for the Prime Minister Raila Odinga as the party’s preferred presidential candidate.

 

The supporters led by the party’s Lugari location chairperson Mr. Protus Buluma and Mautuma location general secretary Mr. David Luseno clarified that the position taken by Nabwera was personal and did not reflect the official position of the branch.

 

Speaking to west FM today (Tuesday), Buluma warned Nabwera against releasing sensitive statements to the public before consulting party officials and members in the district.

 

Buluma, however, pointed out that ODM had abused some of the tenets of democracy, adding that Mudavadi’s decision to move out of the party was welcome.

He said that most party supporters in the district were preparing to ditch the orange party and rally behind Mudavadi once he officially unveils his vehicle to state house this Wednesday.

 

The orange supporters warned Mudavadi detractors that their scheme to scuttle his grand match to State House will not bear fruits, noting that the DPM has already appealed to most Kenyans as the only sober politician with enviable credentials and most preferred candidate to take over from President Mwai Kibaki.

 

They castigated Odinga’s handlers for failing to adequately advise him on sensitive issues and instead converted the party into a cult of dictatorship.

 

The enraged supporters further warned that unless the party amended its Constitution to pave room for fair play, the party’s fortunes will continue to decline as it loses supporters to other parties.

 

Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka, who was the chief guest at the Labour Day celebrations, praised Mudavadi for being a dedicated leader and wished him well in his political ambitions.

 

This also comes hot on the heels of the most recent survey by Synovate indicating Mudavadi’s steady rise though Raila still remains the most popular.

 

According to the survey findings posted on the Synovate’s website, only 9 per cent of Kenyans have changed their choice of presidential candidate in the last three months despite recent political realignments and other campaign activities taking place.  

 

Political analysts in Kenya predict that political alliances will be characterised by those seeking to support or bring to an end Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s quest for the Presidency. 

 

Despite the various political alliances formed, there is no clear indication of who the unified candidates are - a factor which is likely to influence strategic voting behaviour amongst Kenyans and change the political platform, the survey report says.

 

According to the same poll, Prime Minister Raila Odinga remains the most preferred presidential candidate with 34 per cent of Kenyans indicating that they would vote for him. 22 per cent of Kenyans would vote for Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta, 9 per cent for Kalonzo Musyoka, 8 per cent for William Ruto, 5 percent for Martha Karua. 

 

Other presidential aspirants such as Eugene Wamalwa, Peter Kenneth, Raphael Tuju and others would each garner about 1 per cent of the votes.

 

Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi who previously polled less, about 1 per cent, has now gained 5 percentage points. Regionally, Mudavadi’s support is strongest in Western Kenya at 18 per cent to Raila’s 51 per cent. In the other regions, Mudavadi’s support in Nairobi is at 8 per cent and Rift Valley at 5 per cent to Raila’s 31 per cent and 20 per cent respectively.