The Earthquake that never was! Mudavadi could have avoided the ‘si’ in ‘Tu(si)danganye’ chorus

After observing seismic pattern of the earth with a tooth comb, the ‘weather man’ advised Kenyans to prepare for a massive deleterious earthquake that would hit the earth like a thunderbolt. The high voltage quake was expected to bring down pylons and plunge Kenya into Cimmerian darkness!

Social media was immediately inundated with ‘disturbing’ messages which undoubtedly evinced an outpouring of ‘grief’ from netizens. But what exactly was the earthquake about that would make an entire Nation ‘squeal ‘in this unprecedented manner?

This was likened to Musalia Mudavadi’s threat of a major announcement of the Amani National Congress (ANC) National Delegates Conference (NDC) at the Bomas of Kenya on Sunday January 23. ANC also vowed not to invite those it termed ‘competitors’. However, the party failed to disclose plans to invite the Deputy President and the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) presidential flagbearer.

ANC Deputy Party Leader Ayub Savula of Lugari and his Khwisero counterpart Christopher Aseka promised, ahead of the ‘Earthquake’ that they would skip the NDC. The duo had long severed ties with Mudavadi by openly declaring their dalliance with Azimio La Umoja.

His was an earthquake that never was! A characteristic bathos that speaks to the style of the politician Mudavadi. It was predictable to see Ruto at the NDC going by the pimp-role played by Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala, who, is convinced that UDA/ANC partnership is the Earthquake. According to Malala, it is time for Mudavadi to look for new friends that would take him to the political delta land of Goshen.

In his quake, Mudavadi promised to cleanse the Augean stables. Now, in Greek mythology, one of the twelve labourers of Hercules was to clean the stables of Augeas, the King of Elis, in which were 3,000 oxen and which stables had not been cleaned for thirty years. Hercules performed the task in a single day by leading the rivers Alpheus and Peneus through the farmyard. The son of Mulembe thus offered to effect ‘Earthquake’ within 100 days in office as president. His Uchumi bora and Ruto’s bottom up  mantra seemingly cementing their unity, the common denominator being the desire to economically uplift  hoi polloi.

KANUs’ Gideon Moi and Wiper’s Kalonzo Musyoka walked out of the Earthquake event having felt betrayed by a man who laboured on Tusidanganyane. Malala argued that the two are the first victims of the tremor. Without a doubt, One Kenya Alliance (OKA) now goes into the historical dustbin as the cock and bull story of an Alliance that never was. Mudavadi’s exit of OKA now leaves Gideon, a darling of Azimio La Umoja, to take up the cudgels in favour of Kieleweke and so may be true of Kalonzo.

Considered pusillanimous by his opponents, Mudavadi may have a created a survival strategy in a bid to remain relevant in the heat of political callisthenics spearheaded by Malala. He appears like one without a stand, a quintessential political weakling who dances to the fancy and whims of a person young enough to be his political mentee. As a distinguished son of the Nation, Mudavadi must desist from his sempiternal nature of being on tenterhooks, avoid grotesque misuse of words like ‘Earthquake’ (such only tend to attract ridicule and mockery) and take the reins of ANC. He must stop acting like one between the Scylla and Charybdis, mobilize for votes and position himself as a formidable candidate, not one with propensity to go off a tangent. Otherwise, we cannot lie to ourselves that he is ready to lead. Even with the Earthquake coalition, Ruto will obviously remain a triton among the minnows.

The writer is a Communications specialist