Mudavadi PUNCHES Raila in the face!

By Garrihirriyuki Tagawah

FORMER Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi yesterday launched a scathing attack on Raila Odinga, his former leader in ODM. Mudavadi accused Raila of playing the politics of deceit and warned that his brand of politics was unacceptable and outdated.
In a quick rejoinder Raila's spokesman Dennis Onyango dismissed Mudavadi's attack as the "kicks of a dying horse". "Mudavadi knows that his end in Luhya politics has come and Wetang'ula's impending landslide victory next month will serve as the last nail in his political coffin," said Onyango.
Mudavadi is fighting to retain his political relevance at a time when the Jubilee government is considering bringing him and Bukusu leader Eugene Wamalwa back into the Cabinet.
In his strongly worded statement yesterday, Mudavadi told Raila that his influence in Western Kenya had diminished."Raila must know by now that the imperial disguise he wears in dividing communities in western Kenya has come to an end. A new dawn and consciousness has emerged out of the March 4 elections. He must check his condescending attitude," Mudavadi said.
Raila and Mudavadi are engaged in an epic battle for the Bungoma senator seat with Mudavadi backing New Ford-Kenya's Musikari Kombo and Raila campaigning for Ford-Kenya leader Moses Wetangula, one of three principals of Cord.
A win for Raila in Bungoma on December 19 will confirm his continuing strength in Luhya land which voted strongly for him in the last election. If Mudavadi vanquishes Wetang'ula, he can assert himself as the king of Western and revamp his political career.
Mudavadi and New Ford-Kenya leader Eugene Wamalwa are hoping that Kombo wins so that they can bargain with TNA for positions in government.  However the URP wing of Jubilee opposes the idea of them joining the Cabinet to appease the Luhyas.
Yesterday Mudavadi accused Raila of lying to the Bungoma residents in the by-election campaign. The seat fell vacant after Kombo successfully petitioned the High Court to nullify Wetangula's election.
Mudavadi said that Raila was using deceitful as he welcomed President Uhuru Kenyatta to Nyanza but told the people of Bungoma not to work with government.
"Is there a Kenyatta government for Raila and a Raila colony for the Bungoma people? One cannot masquerade for ever. The image of infallibility he projects is meant to hide a tumultuous implosion in his party. And the solution is not to panic and divert attention by dwelling on Musalia," Mudavadi said.
Mudavadi also criticised Raila's allegation that his Amani coalition was using the Bungoma by-election to seeks favours with the government.
"Raila is on record lobbying for an appointment as a mediator. Raila should be the last person to condemn cooperation with any government in power. I remind Raila that he is conspicuous in embracing political cooperation deals with successive regimes and therefore has no moral ground to scold others," Mudavadi said.
He said Amani was united and not confused as Raila claimed."Nobody appointed Raila to prefect and to police other political parties on how to conduct their business. I would take Raila’s pantomimes seriously were he to reflect and address the subtle but loud messages his strongholds are sending to him about pragmatic approaches to development versus illusions of greatness and political rhetoric," Mudavadi said.