Kalonzo left out of Uhuru-Ruto political alliance

Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta and Eldoret North MP William Ruto on Thursday appeared to be forging a new political front without Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka.In a meeting with 90 MPs at Sagret Hotel in Nairobi, the two resolved to work together and start negotiations for a pre-election or post-election coalition. The meeting was preceded by another attended by the two leaders and their close allies.Mr Kenyatta was with Mr Kiraitu Murungi, Mr Mwangi Kiunjuri, Mr Eugene Wamalwa and Mr Wilfred Ombui, while Mr Ruto was accompanied by Mr Chirau Mwakwere, Mr Robert Monda, Mr Aden Duale and Mr Ekwe Ethuro. They had earlier met at Palacina Hotel.Mr Musyoka did not attend Thursday’s meeting but his ally, Kangundo MP Johnstone Muthama, who was also missing, said that the VP was tied up in Cabinet.During the morning meeting, Mr Ruto and his team are said to have asked Mr Kenyatta to put his side of the alliance under a single political entity to enable more structured negotiations. The two teams are also said to have agreed to tackle parliamentary business together.Sources said that it was agreed that while Mr Ruto and his allies had United Republican Party, Mr Kenyatta’s side was fragmented into different parties. Mr Kenyatta was asked not to pick Kanu or PNU due to their historical ties.“There is a feeling that Mr Musyoka is deliberately not censuring Wiper secretary-general Mutula Kilonzo. It was therefore decided that we will negotiate with him like we will be doing with others outside our alliance,” said an MP who attended the meeting but was unwilling to be identified.Housing minister Soita Shitanda, who heads the New Ford Kenya, confirmed that the meeting also resolved to hold a retreat in the next two weeks to draw up modalities for picking a presidential candidate...Click here