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Eugene Wamalwa: William Ruto short-changed me on DP post

 

Defence Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa has been in every government since he joined former President Mwai Kibaki’s Cabinet after the death of his brother, Vice President Michael Wamalwa. He is believed to be having President Uhuru Kenyatta’s ear.

In an interview with the Saturday Nation, he speaks about how he almost became deputy president, and explains what the move by ANC boss Musalia Mudavadi and Ford Kenya’s Moses Wetang’ula to join Deputy President William Ruto’s camp portends.

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It is said you are the founder of the Democratic Action Party of Kenya (DAP-K). Is that true?

It is not true at all. The founder of this party is a friend of mine called David Muchele, a businessman in Webuye, Bungoma County. He started it with a few friends of ours. There is a lady called Knight Mbingi in Busia and a gentleman from Kitale called Masanja. 

They felt that beyond serving the country in various dockets in the Executive, we need to plan for a return to politics in the future to pick up from where we left, and where we left was right here in Kitale almost 10 years ago.

I was the party leader of New Ford Kenya and our symbol was a leopard; President Uhuru Kenyatta’s party was TNA, its symbol was a dove; and the Deputy President William Ruto’s party was URP and its symbol was a cow’s horn. That is where we started until we formed the government and I was appointed to various dockets. 

These friends are the ones who came up with the idea and registered DAP-K. What pleased me was that they were seeking the symbol of our defunct party, New Ford Kenya, and that is how DAP-K came up. 

Is DAP-K an appendage of ODM meant to finish ANC and Ford Kenya in Western?

It is not. I remember once when we were good friends with the Deputy President William Ruto, he came to Tongaren and said: “Eugene, Uhuru and I started this journey together”. I was then surprised when he came back to Tongaren just the other day in Bungoma County saying how Wamalwa cannot form a party or lead a party. So I was like, “Is my friend, the Deputy President, suffering from selective amnesia?”

He should remember that when he met me I was already leading a party and it was one of the most popular parties in this (Western) region and nationally. That is why we brought our parties together.

I think something has happened in the last few weeks that is scaring DP Ruto so much and his cronies, particularly Ford Kenya leader Moses Wetang’ula and his ANC counterpart Musalia Mudavadi whose political fortunes are dwindling. They made a blunder without consulting their political bloc. They jumped into bed with the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and there has been a backlash right from Trans Nzoia across Bungoma to Kakamega, Vihiga and Busia.

Where is DAP-K getting funds to put up a spirited campaign within Western and beyond?

I was able to run New Ford Kenya when I was a backbencher. Here is Eugene Wamalwa 10 years later, a very senior minister having served in different dockets, how would one question my capacity now, yet I had the capacity when I was a little nobody at the time?

You have openly been engaging in politics against the Constitution and other relevant laws. Should you be held to account for that?

I think there is a misinterpretation of the law and this matter even came up in the Supreme Court. I remember my name was mentioned and a few other Cabinet Secretaries, but what people forget is that this Constitution, for the first time, guarantees political rights. 

There is also a requirement for political neutrality by civil servants, but when you look at Section 23 of the Leadership and Integrity Act, it is very clear that all state officers are required to be politically neutral, except Cabinet Secretaries and County Executive Committee members. Why is that so? As a Cabinet Secretary, I am not just in charge of policy; I am also an implementer and defender of those policies. I must protect the manifesto of the ruling party, which is the Jubilee Party.

The coming together of Ruto, Mudavadi and Wetang’ula is said to complicate things for your preferred presidential candidate, Raila, in the Western region. What is your comment?

Not at all. Twice Raila has won majority votes in Western and even when we had a single Luhya presidential candidate, he beat Musalia even in his home county of Vihiga.

As we speak, ANC does not control any county in this region. Musalia does not have any ANC governor in Western. So what makes you think he is more powerful than Raila in Western?

I do not think that affects Raila. Musalia has made a blunder just as he did in 2002 and we wish him well. We respect his choice, but the only thing we do not want to see is our community being out of government.

Your critics have said you have never used your position to push for development projects in Western. What is your response to this?

In the water docket, we have done major projects that I am very much proud of. Starting with the West Pokot Siyoi-Muruny dam, which we launched with the President sometime back and we are hoping it will be completed soon. That will resolve a lot of problems in this region.

In Bunyala, Lower Nzoia, there is a Sh10 billion programme from the World Bank. It started on my watch and will double rice production in Bunyala, Busia County. That is underway.

We are looking for other water projects in Vihiga County. I launched a Sh1.8 billion water project funded by Belgium and the government. It will bring water to the Bunyore, Tiriki and Maragoli sides. We will be going there soon with the President to launch it. My critics might not know what I have done because they have been in Tangatanga. 

Eugene Wamalwa

Defence Cabinet Secretary, Eugene Wamalwa, during an interview in Kitale, Trans Nzoia County on February 20, 2022.

Jared Nyataya | Nation Media Group

I have been to Bungoma launching a big water project. I launched the Teremi water project, if you go to Chwele now, people are getting water to Nalondo and Sikata.

And if you go to Thiba, Kirinyaga, I am very proud that in a matter of two years, we will see rice production double in this country because of this dam when we have more water by gravity.

You joined President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Cabinet as CS for Water and Irrigation. Thereafter, you joined the Devolution docket, but last year, you joined a very critical docket. What is your experience of the three ministries? And what are your expectations in your current docket?

The water docket was very challenging as Kenya is a water-scarce country and we are working to increase coverage. There was a time 50-55 per cent of Kenyans had no access to clean drinking water. That has changed. We have built more capacity in terms of water coverage. My current docket is a very different one. As you know, I am a lawyer, but what has touched me is the high level of professionalism in our military.

The Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) is doing a good job in national development, if you look at what we have done. I know some people have talked about the militarisation of Kenya, but look at what KDF has delivered. Starting with the Kenya Meat Commission, it was a run-down parastatal. There were very many pastoralists who had taken cattle there but were never paid for years. When KDF took over, the place was brand new. 

When it comes to infrastructure, this country was being robbed of Sh100 million per kilometre of roads built, but when you look at what KDF is doing, it is much less. We can build our roads for less and in a shorter period.

Describe your relationship with President Kenyatta.

I think we have had a very close relationship even before he became our President; we had known each other for years. My late father worked very closely with Mzee Jomo Kenyatta, both as the first chief in this region, then as senator.

Besides, my late brother Mike (Kijana Wamalwa) married Gathoni Mungai. Gathoni was Dr Njoroge Mungai’s daughter and the likes of Beth Mugo, Ngengi Muigai—you know their relationship with the Kenyattas. Through that, we had very close ties and friendships. 

What Kenyans do not know is that there was a time Mike almost considered becoming Uhuru’s running mate. They were very close but President Mwai Kibaki got his way with Mike.

Michael Kijana Wamalwa Mwai Kibaki Martin Shikuku

Then leader of the opposition Michael Kijana Wamalwa (centre), DP chairman Mwai Kibaki (left) and FORD Asili secretary-general Martin Shikuku and opposition MPs during a press conference at Parliament buildings in August 1995. 

File | Nation Media Group
Former President Mwai Kibaki wamalwa

Former President Mwai Kibaki (right) when he was named Unesco special envoy for Africa by CS Eugene Wamalwa at his Nyari office, Nairobi. Looking on is Unesco regional director Mohammed Djelid.

File | Ondieki PSS

I am very proud of what has been achieved through his (Mr Kenyatta’s) leadership in the last 10 years. I am not just proud calling him my boss but also calling him my friend.

How do you relate with Deputy President Ruto and what caused UhuRuto divorce?

I can say that when he started drifting away from the President, it also affected our closeness. Some of us were placed in a difficult position to choose between the President and his deputy. Some of the things that I can say today did not affect our personal relationship, but, on principle, we differed on a few things. For example, what he stands for. 

When we launched the TNA party and the President unveiled his vision for the country, there are two things we set out to achieve—ridding this country of tribalism and creating a united Kenya, and eliminating corruption. 

Remember that at Independence, Kenya, economically, was on a par with South Korea, Malaysia and Singapore — the Asian Tigers. What happened to Kenya's dream? 

We all concluded that what stood in the way of Kenya’s dream was corruption and tribalism. At some point, the Deputy President started drifting away from the President on the war on corruption. 

He started attacking the institutions that the President was seeking to strengthen to facilitate the war —the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations.

He started saying: “You are weaponising the war on corruption; you are targeting my people; in Arror and Kimwarer only Sh7 billion was lost.” 

Eugene Wamalwa

Defence Cabinet Secretary, Eugene Wamalwa, during an interview in Kitale, Trans Nzoia County on February 20, 2022.

Jared Nyataya | Nation Media Group

All this was undermining the President’s efforts in the war on corruption because unless we institutionalise the war, we will never win it. The minute you start saying someone is being attacked because he is of your ethnic group; someone being targeted because he is a ‘hustler’ ; and you start interfering in the work of these institutions, we cannot win the war. Some of these things started separating the wheat from the chaff, so to speak.

The second thing has been the unity of this nation. We support the handshake because this is what brought the country back together. I have heard the Deputy President attack the handshake time and again, saying we were just doing fine until Raila came in and that the handshake prevented the realisation of the Big Four Agenda. The handshake did not curtail the realisation of the Big Four Agenda—far from it. It is the biggest enabler of the Big Four Agenda. 

Some of the choices he (Ruto) made went against the Big Four Agenda and he lost the confidence of the President and some of us who believed and shared in the vision of the President. 

At some point, he became like the opposition from within. And even the policy he is now propelling—the Hustler versus Dynasty thing — that is the last thing the President wants to hear. 

It is the same with the handshake of 2008 when President Mwai Kibaki had a handshake with Mr Odinga; you could see the post-election violence stop, and the humanitarian crisis was tackled. The country came back together. 

Likewise, even the handshake between Uhuru and Ruto in Nakuru restored peace in a region that had been affected by ethnic clashes in nearly all previous elections, particularly between the Kalenjin and the Kikuyu.

If a handshake could not have taken place, could the UhuRuto divorce take place?

I think it is a question of putting the country before self. If we all agree that the handshake of Kibaki and Raila and the handshake of Ruto and Uhuru was good, let’s also say the handshake of Raila and Uhuru is good. What' is good for the goose is good for the gander.

If this is good for the country, there comes a time when, as the late George Saitoti said, the nation is more important than an individual. What Ruto was looking at was personal ambition—that this handshake was going to propel Raila; that the Building Bridges Initiative was going to benefit Raila. He was not looking at what was good for Kenya. To me, that is where the rubber meets the road.

How do you say you do not want the positions of prime minister and deputies, yet I heard William Ruto speak at the homecoming ceremony of Bishop Khamala in Lurambi that in 2007, Mr Odinga was to be president, Mr Mudavadi to be deputy president, and he was to be prime minister. Why is it that Ruto being a prime minister was okay in 2007?

One other thing that I have never told Kenyans is that when we were planning to form this government — the three of us (Uhuru, Ruto and I) had only one witness and I won’t disclose his name — Uhuru had chosen me as his running mate and Ruto was to be Majority leader, with Chirau Ali Makwere as his deputy. 

It was agreed that later, upon constitutional amendments, Dr Ruto would transition to prime minister, with Mr Mwakwere as his deputy to take care of the Coast region, and another deputy post was to go to another part of the country.

It means you would be deputy president. What transpired?

Yes, I was to be Uhuru’s running mate. I was short-changed and it is something you should ask DP Ruto. I think I have heard two people speak about it. I heard Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja speak about it that “you know Eugene was to be the deputy president, but Ruto has Kalenjin votes, Luhya is divided”. 

I heard my friend, Cherangany MP Joshua Kutuny, speak about it too one day. Ask DP Ruto and ask my friend Raphael Tuju to tell you who Uhuru’s preferred deputy was and what happened. I think history will tell the rest.   BY DAILY NATION    

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