A section of religious leaders have endorsed Amani Coalition presidential candidate Musalia Mudavadi even as he vowed he would not play the ‘kingmaker’. The clerics drawn from various denominations said they settled on Mudavadi because he is non-confrontational, peaceful and the only one who can unite the country. They maintained that with less than two weeks to the General Election, the country is still fragmented along ethnic lines and needs a moderate leader.
“Musalia Mudavadi is not an extremist. He is a sober person who is harmless like a dove,” said East Africa Methodist Secretary General Isaya Deye. Speaking on Thursday at United Democratic Forum (UDF) offices in Nairobi, the church leaders dismissed opinion polls that have consistently projected Mudavadi as a back runner.
Mudavadi who was flanked by his running mate Jeremiah Kioni declared he was in the race to the end and would not be a ‘kingmaker’ as a political analyst claimed.
“I gave my nomination papers to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission. Kenyans have not decided and they have an opportunity to do so on March 4,” he said.
Mudavadi said the church must persuade their congregation to vote beyond tribal lines. He also said the death threats against Chief Justice Willy Mutunga must be taken seriously and called for thorough investigations.
Judiciary
He insisted the issue must be dealt with promptly to uphold the independence of the Judiciary, adding that when the CJ of any country speaks, there could be something about to undermine the delivery of justice.
“Institutions must operate within their mandate. This business of people trying to transgress must be condemned,” he said in apparent reference to claims that Head of Civil Service Francis Kimemia was interfering with the Judiciary.
He said Kenya passed the new Constitution so that the Executive, the Judiciary and the Legislative arms of Government uphold their independence. Mr Kioni said the Church must speak out boldly on issues affecting Kenyans without tribal considerations. He insisted given the circumstances that the country was in; Mudavadi is the safe pair of hands.

The decisions that Kenya's 14 million voters make on March 4 will impact the lives and livelihoods of more than 40 million Kenyans for a long time to come.
These critically important decisions must not be made lightly. Between now and March 4, we, as a nation and as a people, must engage in the deepest national soul-searching.

We must weigh and consider. And, having reflected deeply, we must embark on the most selfless and magnanimous actions of our lives thus far – and vote accordingly.

DO NOT WASTE YOUR VOTE

Whatever else you do on March 4, do not waste your vote. Do not waste it on the tribal factor; do not waste your vote building a political dynasty; do not waste your vote on some obscure loyalties that can no longer take Kenya forward.

The Amani Coalition is supremely mindful of what it promises Kenyans. We are not offering you an undefined, revolutionary change overnight; nor are we pledging a complete break with the past, as if the past were another country, belonging to other people.

EXPANDING THE PROSPERITY SPACE

Fellow Kenyans, my pledge to you is simple, straightforward and eminently practicable: I pledge to prioritize prosperity. I pledge to make prosperity much more inclusive than was possible in the first 49 years of Independence. I pledge to do this as the Devolution Candidate. I promise to expand the prosperity space throughout Kenya.

Prosperity does not occur in a context of strife and conflict. The enabling environment for prosperity is peace and harmony. Amani is above all dedicated to national harmony.

There is no dignity in being Poor!

A number of key factors are coinciding to set the stage for Kenya’s irreversible path to prosperity.

First, there is the roadmap, the national economic blueprint of Vision 2030; many of whose pillars are being rolled out.

Secondly, there are the achievements of the past 10 years, the Mwai Kibaki era; a period of solid achievements in the infrastructural and information communications technologies (ICTs) sectors as well as the greatest expansion of the democratic space in our history as a sovereign nation yet. The Kibaki era has provided Kenya with one of its most solid foundations for building and expanding national prosperity.

Thirdly, there are the recent discoveries of oil and natural gases that herald a petrodollar economy in the near future.

Fourthly, there is the return of devolved government in Kenya under the new Constitution, a system that will qualify and quantify the building of prosperity at the grassroots throughout the country.

Kenya has every reason to succeed, from human to natural resources to multiple enabling environments. Our foreseeable future outlook is optimistic.

NO EXPERIMENTAL SOLUTIONS, PLEASE

But it takes only one bad reason to throw a spanner into the works of our national unity, harmony, hard-work ethic and growing prosperity.

The wrong decision on March 4 will derail Kenya and Kenyans for a minimum of five years and its adverse consequences will negatively impact an entire generation of young Kenyans.

If you vote for a candidate who has all his life looked for radical but merely experimental solutions to Kenya’s most fundamental problems, you will turn Kenya into a human laboratory for failed ideologies.

But there is another dangerous path; the path of capitalism without a human or a humane face. If you vote for a Kenya without inclusion - in which the vast majority, particularly the youth, are left behind – our national dream will transmute into a veritable nightmare.

AMANI’S WAY: DEVOLUTION, PEACE, HARMONY & PROSPERITY

Devolution will provide the basic building blocks of nationwide prosperity which, like proverbial charity, truly begins at home. Devolution will bring prosperity home, lifting millions of Kenyans from poverty. The building of a nationwide prosperity based on the devolution model will give the women and youth of Kenya long-term, even lifelong, opportunities that have never been opened to them before.

NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND

The way of the Amani Coalition is the way of peace and harmony and the creation of plenty. Amani will make devolution the driver of Kenya’s expanding prosperity. The way of Amani is to ensure that no child is left behind anywhere in Kenya and no region is a hardship region. The provision of the most basic needs that underwrite human dignity, human rights and a decent start will be an essential part of Amani’s prosperity and harmony package for Kenya.

The provision of water, food, shelter, healthcare, education, infrastructure, ICTs, security and gainful employment throughout Kenya will be the national yardsticks against which Kenyans will be urged to assess Amani’s first five years in office.

AMANI’S PROGRAMME FOR THE NEW KENYA

The creation of prosperity will lead straightaway to the greatest improvement in standards of living ever recorded nationwide.

Amani understands the challenges involved well and has laid out a programme to ensure that economic growth translates directly into better living standards for every family.

Prosperity means economic growth that puts money in your pocket.

• Opportunities for the youth
• Job creation
• Devolution: Making County governments work
• Peace, security and stability
• Affirmative Action for marginalized persons
• Enlargement of regional and continental markets

The Amani Coalition therefore commits itself to an acceleration of the economic transformation programmes initiated by the current Government.

Fellow Kenyans, this is my pledge. It is now up to you to vote to make a real difference, to ensure realistic change for the better. Vote to take the hard-won gains of the Kibaki era to the next level.

Vote for the future of a prosperous, harmonious and caring Kenya. That is my promise to you.