Will Mulembe Nation Ascend to Power Through Musalia?

By Wakhungu Andaje

Musalia Mudavadi has politically cut out his political niche that has seen him stand out as best leader to lead Mulembe nation to the promise land in 2032.

Unlike many political figures who have been in the public service for decades, Musalia’s integrity and clean record speaks for themselves, noting that in Kenya political arena, integrity is strength, not weakness.

Musalia has not just woken up and placed himself at the helm of the Western and country’s political arena as he has the experience which he has earned through his steady rise in the country’s politics where he has been and served as a minister in various capacities including among other local government, agriculture, finance and also as vice President, deputy prime minister, and now prime cabinet secretary (PCS).

Unlike other known politicians you will hardly hear him exchanging verbal un-pleasantries and his sober and calm nature has made him an all-round acceptable leader across the political divide for leadership is not how loud you can spew noise in a public gathering, for it is the political stability, experience and maturity that matter more than insults.

Prime cabinet secretary Musalia Mudavadi middle with UDA candidate David Ndakwa in yellow and ODM aspirant Joab Manyasi who stepped down in support of UDA .

Having commanded huge respect for his bold move to stop exchequer-draining Goldenberg scandal to establishing the now thriving Kenya revenue authority (KRA) during his tenure as the then finance minister in the 1990s, he stands out as among the few if not the only one within the broad based government cabinet who is not from Ruto’s Kalenjin community and yet has stamped his loyalty, ambition, respect as well as conviction in and commitment to the Government he leads. 

With hardly 2years to the next (2027) general election Musalia still remains one of President William Ruto’s close confidants as far as the Mulembe political following is concerned and the two seems to be very well reading from the same script of ensuring the two term agenda is delivered.

The current prime cabinet secretary for foreign and diaspora affairs, Musalia, made his declaration clear three years ago that he would be backing President Ruto’s re-election in 2027, and he is walking the talk.

President William Ruto himself has not hidden his liking and companionship for the 65-year-old former deputy prime minister and has further insinuated that he is the best candidate to take over the country’s leadership mantle upon his two term lapse in 2032.

Musalia is tasked with diplomatic chores both continentally and globally aimed at strengthening co-operation and bilateral relations.

The position is a plus to him as he has the ambience to meet and mingle with different personalities hence sharpening and marketing himself as a universal leader for that matter.

Not once but severally President William Ruto has openly displayed his soft spot for Musalia stating that he was better placed to lead the Mulembe brigade support his two term and in turn he (Ruto) rallies his kinsmen to vote for him in 2032 as a way of returning the favour.

Perhaps what makes Musalia likable across board is his style and calls for respectful politics where he has never built his career on insulting opponents or communities.

Musalia is among the few leaders who believes in elevating rather than degrading their country political status.

His modus of operandi has worked well with him where he has stood as a national unity champion consistently promoting peace and unity over tribalism.

The down to earth politicians,Prime cabinet secretary Musalia Mudavadi catching up with the village gossip in his Mululu home.

This has seen him collaborate well with leaders from all regions within and across the continent for the good of the country. 

Many perceive his calmness as being a coward lest they forget that calm leadership is not cowardice and Musalia has mastered well the trajectory of the Kenyan politics to his future favour that is quickly knocking at the door.

He is known to be a calm, respectful, and diplomatic leader, qualities that very few politicians habour and which are often misinterpreted as weakness and which Kenya needs (problem-solvers, not perpetual fighters).

The Mulembe kingpin is coming in handy when the populous Kikuyu community which largely contributed to the voter weight in favour of Ruto’s 2022 August election as President of Kenya now having considerably drifted it’s support from the incumbent, it is in Western where now Ruto is casting his net wider alongside, Nyanza, Coast and North Eastern regions that gave him few votes to cover for the central ones that continue to prove elusive daily as the 2027 polls nears.

President William Ruto is keenly hunting for the Western region’s over 2.1Million votes from Vihiga, Kakamega, Bungoma, Busia and Trans-Nzoia counties that will be delivered through the Mulembe leaders led by Musalia Mudavadi as this will substitute the central votes.

Already Ruto’s campaign team led by Farouk Kibet is already working to woo the electorate in Western Kenya to rally behind the President with a view to replacing the evaporated support from Central Kenya.

Since Mudavadi remains the most prominent and recognizable politician from the region in the Ruto regime he is tasked to ensure that the Mulembe votes are delivered to the President’s basket and assure him of the full support in retaliation for the same during his 2032 tenure.

To strengthen the delivery of the Western bloc, President Ruto last month appointed Bungoma governor Ken Lusaka to co-ordinate the Kenya Kwanza alliance 2027 pre-election campaigns, where Mudavadi together with national assembly speaker Moses Wetangula, Cooperatives development cabinet secretary Wycliffe Oparanya and central organization of trade unions (COTU) secretary-general Francis Atwoli have been mandated to ensure that the Mulembe nation votes are delivered to Ruto’s camp.

Musalia has been in various governments leading the nation having attracted the trust of multiple administrations, showing reliability and competence and this has catapulted him to the high ranks of leadership.

Being the 3rd highest ranking and most experienced member within the Kenya Kwanza administration, Mudavadi towers above the rest of the relatively younger 22-member pack residing in the executive and he has emerged as a crucial cog in the wheel of Ruto re-election bid come next year as he is now one of the key players who will have to slug it out in the trenches to ensure Ruto retains the State house tenancy when election comes knocking.

His ripeness for 2032 has been sharped through various dockets he has held ranging from prime cabinet secretary, Vice-President, finance minister, minister for transport and communications, minister for local government, minister for supplies and marketing and minister for agriculture.

His expertise in cabinet matters saw him being appointed as the acting cabinet secretary heading 21 ministries for a fortnight after the Gen Z protests in 2024 that saw President Ruto send packing all the ministers.

His ability to compose himself besides having strong shock absorbers has seen him be at centre-stage of Ruto’s re-election bid without doubt with his track record, loyalty, respect and service delivery characterizing his well-beaten trail.

For the Mulembe Nation in him they have a representation of dignity, wisdom and national outlook as he believes in leadership of positive influence and respect, and not chest-thumping. Having been tested tried and proven, Mudavadi has stood his consistency and principles and at times he has had to swallow the political bitter pill where propaganda fades, but legacy remains.

In January 23, 2022, Musalia quit the opposition One Kenya alliance (OKA) to team up with William Ruto in what came to be famously referred to as ‘The Earthquake’, an event that took place at the Bomas of Kenya and yet last year, he swallowed his pride folding his Amani national congress (ANC) party to merge with Ruto’s UDA a move that attracted mixed reactions from his supporters and Mulembe kinsmen.

However when asked why many political pundits termed the ‘suicidal move’, Musalia reiterated stating that: “I did not want the President to be looking behind his shoulder wondering what is happening there, we wanted the President to fully concentrate on his work and succeed without having to worry about those behind him at all” The sacrificial move angered his close allies who scattered and joined different political outfits in protest with many stating that he had dug his own political grave.

However recently in a turn of event, the courts re installed the party and handed it back to him. He is also on record for supporting the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga for Presidency twice, Uhuru once and Ruto twice (in addition to next year).

His loyalty remains unquestionable as over the years, and with the departure of the ODM party leader from the Kenyan political landscape, the ODM voting demographies are up for grabs following a limitless succession brouhaha that has gripped the once political powerhouse.

Musalia Mudavadi, himself a close friend of the late Raila, has the onerous task of helping Ruto weave a meticulous pathway that will guarantee the President overwhelming support not only in the Mulembe Nation but also in other ODM-dominated areas around the country considering that both Ruto and Mudavadi are founder-members of the now split ODM party.

As he joins pact with President William Ruto his known quest for honoring the legacy of service, peace, and responsible leadership has attracted the entire Mulembe nation to rally behind him as their best shot in 2032.