Mudavadi: Uhuru promised me the presidency
Premier Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi now claims former president Uhuru Kenyatta promised several people he would help them ascend to the presidency in his final days in office.
“It is time to talk the truth,” said Mudavadi at a political rally on March 25, 2023.
“You know that man (former president Uhuru Kenyatta) had promised to support me for the presidency. But he had also promised it (the presidency) to many people. I asked him how we will go about it (helping me get to the presidency), he would say ‘leave it to me’, I will handle everything.”
“That is why I decided to bring the earthquake which helped propel President Ruto to power. I did that because unlike that man President Ruto was honest. He told me the truth about his plans and how we were to go about it.”
Mudavadi further suggested the former president knowingly or otherwise shortchanged Raila Odinga, whom he publicly settled on as his successor.
“You know the former president never mobilized for Raila Odinga in Central Kenya. That is an interesting observation.”
During his decade-long stay at the helm, former president Kenyatta initially announced his Deputy William Ruto will succeed him.
“I will rule for ten years and then leave Ruto to rule for another ten years. Those of you that thinking of leading this country you can make plans of doing that after 20 years,” said the former president at a public event.
The former president and his Deputy then appeared to fall out in 2018, and later, the former president settled for Mr Odinga as his preferred successor.
But President Ruto marginally defeated Mr Odinga in the August 2022 polls despite the retired president’s’support’.
Upon assuming office, President Ruto appointed Mr Mudavadi Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS), a role that effectively places him as third in command in the Cabinet.
This is the second time Mr Mudavadi is alleging that the former president had promised him the presidency.
In 2013, Mr Mudavadi addressed a press conference where he claimed both former president Uhuru Kenyatta and his successor William Ruto drove to his home and promised to support him to succeed the then retiring Mwai Kibaki at the expense of Mr Odinga.
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