MAKING OF MUDAVADI

FRANCIS  ILAHAKA
Recently  Sabatia MP who  is   also DP Musalia  Mudavadi had  been  in  news  after  being conned by Uhuru  Kenyatta  lead  coalition as  the  politician  insit that  he  is still  in  Presidential race.
Majority  of  his  supporters from  Western Kenya  and  around  the  Country accused  him  of being  politician without  proper  stand when  it  come  to race  giving  example  of 2002 when  he  as rejected  by  Sabatia  voters.
What  is    interesting  no  media  house   had  come  up    to  tell  Kenyans who  is  this  man  Mudavadi in  Kenya  political  arena.
Scholars  of  history  had  been  forced  to  trace Sabatia politician  whom  Kenyans  wants  to  become  President but  Luhya  sub-tribes who  are  apart  of  his  problem  cannot  allow him.
Mudavadi  was  born  in  Vihiga Sabatia and  named  after  Sifano  Musalia  the  father  of the  late  Matayo  Mwenesi and  Mwenisi   who  was Mudavadi  late  father Budamba  Mudavadi  political  rival  during  KANU era.

Although voters in Sabatia constituency in Vihiga Division of Kakamega District and Kenyans in general expected a straight battle between two seemingly strong candidates in the by-election for, the seat left vacant following the death of the minister for local government and physical planning, Mr. Moses Budamba Mudavadi, it ended up being filled without a contest, thanks to Mr. Peter Kibisu’s decision to withdraw his candidature, thereby leaving Mudavadi, it ended up being filled without a contest, thanks to  Mr. Peter Kibisu’s decision to withdraw his candidature, thereby leaving Mudavadi’s son, Mr. Wycliffe Musalia unopposed. In the build-up to the by election, it become increasingly clear that Musalia would take up his father’s mantle with remarkable ease.

From the time his father was buried on February 18, that  Musalia emerged the hot favourite to fill the seat and, even before the by-election schedule was released, leaders in Sabatia had already made their views known to the effect that they would back him. Meetings were held throughout the constituency that which leaders endorsed Musalia as an unopposed candidate for the seat.

The meetings organized by chiefs and Kanu officials, left no doubt that those endorsing Musalia, 29, would not welcome any form of opposition. Things became even easier for Musalia when his endorsement was accepted by the Kakamega Kanu branch which held a full executive meeting on Monday last week at which it agreed with the decision of the Sabatia sub-branch to support  Musalia’s exclusive candidature. The branch went on to say that it would like to see all Kanu members queue-voting nominations that would have taken surface on Monday this week  had the seat been contested. That virtually left no room effective opposition to Musalia in view of the fact that queue-nominations are purely party affairs.

The Sabatia party sub-branch appears to have been aware from the very start that if it did not move fast to make its views known, other people would step forward to stake their claims on the seat. As it turned out, apart from Kibisu, two people did announce that they would be opposing Musalia and, even more signifirant, they opposed the move of endorsing Musalia as amounting to denying the electorate its democratic rights. One of the more outspoken opponents of the Musalia endorsement was Mr. Hezekiah Kisia, a farmer Ka-kamega county councillor who was especially incensed by what he viewed as the provincial administration's curious role, querying the role chiefs appeared to have arrogated to themselves in .-the Mudavadi succession manoeuvres. Kisia's starfd was that the people should be left free to choose the candidate of their choice without having to be influenced by either the party or administrators. His argument was that Kenya is a democratic state and not a monarchy. Kisia's argument reflected the? sentiments of those opposed to Musalia's bid to step into his father's shoes.

However, with Musalia now Sabatia MP, his victory is further testimony to an 'Eighties trend in Kenyan politics wherely voters increasingly tend to favor the survivors of dead parliamentarians and.take them to parliament for purely sympathy reasons. In the case of Mudavadi, it was well-nigh a foregone conclusion that his son would succeed him in Sabatia mainly because of the overwhelming support the late MP enjoyed among his people. By the time Mudavadi died, he was the undisputed political hero among the Maragoli people. The implicit sympathy vote for Mudavadi's son was therefore not surprising. Besides being Mudavadi's eldest son, Musaiia presented himself as the man who had enjoyed his late father's trust. At his father's burial, Musalia enumerated the old man's wishes emphasizing that the electorate should assist in ensuring that projects begun by Mudavadi should be completed

That turned out to be Musalia's major source of pre-by-election strength, and in addition, his appeal to the electorate hinged on the unity his father had largely helped to establish in the constituency.

The main question that arises from Musalia s effortless victory is whether it spelt the end, politically, for Kibisu. A charismatic and respected politician in his own right, Kibisu had tacitly played the role of an alternative political force in the area for the 13 years that Mudavadi was MP for the larger Vihiga constituency and, later, for Sabatia. Kibisu actively involved himself in development programmes . initiated by Mudavadi. But he also made it clear that should Mudavadi drop from the political scene in the area, he would readily step forward to take over. That was his stand when he announced his candidature. According to Kibisu, he had reached an agreement with the late Mudavadi to stay out of the running as long as Mudavadi went for the Sabatia seat apparently on the understanding that one day Kibisu would benefit from the agreement in Mudavadi's absence.

It is possible that such an agreement was made, but, apparently, it was not binding, as Kibisu came to realise last. Although he seemed to have taken his misfortunes in his stride, Kibisu was undoubtedly a bitter and humiliated man who must have felt cheated, if not disowned by his own people, of what he evidently perceived to have been his turn to be rewarded by the Maragoli for the patience he had displayed by supporting the late Mudavadi; A veteran politician and former trade unionist, Kibisu's political record in Maragoli was well-known and his political appeal was comparable to that of the current Vihiga MP, Mr. Bahati Semo. Both Kibisu and Semo were the; only people who ever gave Mudavadi an electoral run for his money and with Semo now in Vihiga, Kibisu remained the most formidable political force in

Sabatia in Mudavadi's absence. But now that he has failed to make headway in the first post-Mudavadi election in Sabatia, it may well be the last time that Kibisu will be heard of in Maragoli politics.

Announcing his withdrawal from the race, Kibisu took particular note of the stand taken by the Kakamega District Kanu branch which had said that any other candidate seeking the seat (apart from Musalia) "should know that he does not have the support of this branch". This contrasted sharply with a statement Kibisu made when he declared his candidature. He was quoted in the daily press as having wondered why Kanu officials in the constituency had taken it upon themselves to propose Musalia's unopposed election when they had not held public rallies to seek the views of the public. However, when Kibisu made his decision to withdraw from the race he cited the district branch's exhortations on Musalia's behalf as the compelling factors for his withdrawal.

As Musalia prepares himself to take charge of his late father's constituency, the next question that was bound to preoccupy observers of the Kakamega political scene is what role he is likely to play in the wider political framework of the area. Musalia already has high hopes this early in his political career. Last Sunday, the powerful chairman of the Nandi District Kanu branch, Mr. Mark Too, pledged his support for Musalia and paid tribute to the people of Sabatia for giving him an easy passage into parliament. Too is a forceful political figure nationwide and his early support for Musalia may augur a bright political future for the neophyte parliamentarian. Within Kakamega District itself, the branch has a vacancy which it has yet to fill. Last week, when it endorsed Musalia's candidacy, the branch also elevated its vice-chairman, Mr. Seth Lugonzo.-to act as chairman raising speculation that it may be waiting for Musalia before filling Mudavadi's now vacant post of chairman. Beyond the constituency and the district, Musalia's entry into parliament has also raised speculation particularly because the ministerial vacancy left by his father has not been filled either. Whatever awaits Musalia, his spectacular win in Sabatia promises to provide him with bright early prospects in his unexpected political career.

Musalia comes  to  both local  and international scene when  he  returned  from  Paris club  with  money  during  KANU regime he was also  able  to  read  national  budget when  opposition  shouted  during  budget  day  NO REFORM NO  BUDGET.

Mudavadi  was  also  the  first  sitting VP  to be  rejected  by  voters  in  his  Sabatia and  went  ahead  to  reject  nomination  post  by KANU  lead  of  Uhuru  Kenyatta,

  FrancisIlahaka is  cultural  writer currently  working  on  abook  making of Kenya Presidency  From  Kenyatta  to Kibaki.

francisilahaki@gmail.com