ODM party leader Raila Odinga and Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka may have signed a secret memorandum of understanding (MoU) for Mr Odinga to support Mr Kalonzo’s presidential bid in 2027, the MoU was allegedly signed in the run-up to the last general elections, a source has told The Weekly Vision.
In 2022, Mr Kalonzo had initially presented his presidential nomination papers to the IEBC to be cleared as a candidate on the Wiper Party flag. This was after he claimed Raila Odinga had promised to back him as the opposition’s 2022 presidential flag bearer, but the formation of Azimio worked against their agreement, thereby forcing Kalonzo Musyoka to turn around and attempt to run alone. However, sources say it was the intervention of former President Uhuru Kenyatta that saved the day by ensuring that Kalonzo abandoned his presidential ambitions for the third time to support Raila Odinga. As this was happening, Raila Odinga had already settled on Narc-Kenya party leader Martha Karua as his preferred running mate, this deal was also brokered by Uhuru Kenyatta, sources say.
Uhuru Kenyatta convinced Kalonzo Musyoka to support Raila Odinga with the promise of being offered the position of Chief Cabinet Secretary, which was to be like a prime minister’s position. Kalonzo reluctantly agreed to the offer, he was later seen in serious campaigns for Raila Odinga, addressing public rallies across the country. Analysts wondered at the time why Kalonzo made a U-turn to support Mr Odinga.
Sources say that Uhuru Kenyatta brokered a deal between the two where a secret MoU was signed, making Raila a one-term president and offering his support to Kalonzo in 2027. This was not the first time an MoU between Raila and Kalonzo was being signed, in 2017 before he again suspended his presidential bid to support Raila Odinga, a secret MoU was signed that Raila Odinga was to serve for one term and then hand over to Kalonzo in 2022.
Raila did not, however, honour the MoU with claims that he won, but his victory was stolen, hence he had not served for one term as was indicated in the MoU. It is for this reason that Kalonzo agreed to once again gain support for Raila in 2022.
Sources say the recent MoU between Raila Odinga and Kalonzo Musyoka was signed without the knowledge of Martha Karua and other Azimio luminaries. Sources allege that Uhuru convinced Kalonzo to allow Raila to serve for another term, and then he will be supported in 2027. It is for that reason that during the 80th birthday party for Siaya Senator Oburu Odinga, Raila kind of endorsed Kalonzo for 2027 but later retracted after he realized that it could split Azimio.
