Close allies of Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka have accused President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM boss Raila Odinga of betrayal and duplicity.
The Wiper leaders, mainly from Ukambani, insist Uhuru and Raila are reneging on a shrouded deal that makes Kalonzo the automatic Azimio second-in-command.
Kalonzo has been stabbed in the back, they say.
For the first time, Makueni Senator Mutula Kilonzo Jnr claimed Kalonzo signed a separate deal with Uhuru and Raila, handing him the running mate slot.
The agreement, he said, was in line with the "three-legged stool" arrangement that made the three as the key anchors of the Azimio coalition.
“There were two signing ceremonies. The initial signing ceremony was done in the big house (State House). The quiet one is where all these issues were discussed and agreements reached," Kilonzo told the Star.
Kilonzo, who is Wiper's national vice chairman, said subjecting their leader to "a committee is betrayal". He is a close ally of the former vice president.
A powerful committee of close Uhuru and Raila allies reportedly has been appointed to identify a strong running mate.
Think tanks around Raila and Uhuru believe having a running mate from Mt Kenya will give Raila more political ammunition against Deputy President William Ruto.
To make it look like this running mate matter is still open is a betrayal and paints a very bad picture
Critics, however, say Mt Kenya would largely vote for Ruto and giving them the number two position will work against Raila by disfranchising Ukambani.
“This issue [of running mates] is being mismanaged. In so far as the three-legged stool was concerned, that was a partnership that had no equals except them [Uhuru, Raila and Kalonzo],” Kilonzo said.
“Therefore, the assurance of my party leader was the assurance given to him by the co-partners, that all is well, everything is settled [is false].
"To make it look like this running mate matter is still open is a betrayal and a very bad picture,” Mutula, who is the Senate Minority Whip told the Star.
"Now it is no Kalonzo, no Raila"
Makueni MP Daniel Maanzo , another Kalonzo confidant, told the handshake brothers to forget the Ukambani vote if Kalonzo is not named running mate.
He said they will mobilise the Kamba nation to vote for the other five positions, except for the presidential ticket, to protest what he called betrayal.
“We agreed to support Raila on the basis that Kalonzo would be the running mate. Some people within ODM have been trying to frustrate that. There is no other reason we would have agreed [to join Azimio],” he said.
"Now it is no Kalonzo, no Raila," Maanzo told the Star.
The revelations, including talk of another secret understanding, will widen cracks in the coalition as infighting approaches a crescendo and tremors unsettle the jumbo grouping
Kalonzo has been pulling the strings, terming himself Azimio’s "obvious" presidential running mate.
Several politicians including Kalonzo, Narc Kenya leader Martha Karua, former Gatanga MP Peter Kenneth and Agriculture CS Peter Munya are among those being considered for the running mate slot.
On Monday, the Azimio Women's Caucus led by Kitui Governor Charity Ngilu and Nyeri Deputy Governor Caroline Karugu endorsed Karua as the ideal running mate. They said she would cement the Mt Kenya vote and the women's vote.
But Kalonzo’s men feel subjecting their boss to a committee decision is treachery that could trigger a serious rebellion in his Ukambani backyard.
“He might himself agree that if even he does not get the position, it's okay, but [that] will have serious implications for the people who support him. That is where the problem is,” Mutula warned.
Former Nairobi Speaker Beatrice Elachi said, however, Kalonzo is dragging Raila into an agreement he was not part of.
In an interview on K24 TV on Tuesday, Elachi said the negotiations between Kalonzo and Uhuru did not involve Raila.
“Kalonzo sat with the President and negotiated, and not with the former Prime Minister,” Elachi said.
“Kalonzo said he cannot negotiate with Raila and so he negotiated with the President. What was this agreement you had with the President? You are dragging Raila into something he was never part of," she said.
But Wiper deputy director of elections Ben Momanyi expressed confidence the running mate stalemate would be settled peacefully. He warned that giving he slot to Central Kenya might not translate to votes for Raila.
“They need to weigh the issue of Central, it seems they (Central Kenya) are stuck on the other side (Kenya Kwanza).
"Our party leader [Kalonzo] could be the best choice; if paired with Raila, it will be a mature team,” the Borabu MP said.
(Edited by V. Graham)
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