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National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula has revealed intrigues behind his defection and Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi to President William Ruto’s camp ahead of the 2022 general election.

Speaking during an interdenominational service in Bungoma town on Sunday, August 27, Wetang’ula said he met Ruto’s personal assistant Farouk Kibet four times in the company of Mudavadi before finally meeting the then-deputy president for talks regarding a possible pact.

According to the former Bungoma senator, Kibet hosted the two former principals of One Kenya Alliance (OKA) for dinner four times before they made up their minds to join forces with Ruto in the hotly contested poll.

“Huyu kijana anaitwa Farouk your Excellency tulikula dinner yake mara nne before we met you. Tukisema tukipanga pros and cons…tumehangaika huku 2013, 2017 sasa mambo namna gani…” Wetang’ula told Ruto who is in the Western region for a five-day working tour.

“We are having the last laugh. He who laughs last laughs the best, laughs the longest,” he added.

Wetang’ula made the comments while denying claims of a supremacy battle between him and Mudavadi in the western region.

The reports surfaced after several MPs, allied mainly to the opposition, endorsed Wetang’ula as the Luhya political kingpin during a recent fundraiser in Ikolomani constituency.

However, the former lawmaker insisted claims that he was undermining Mudavadi were baseless.

“I’ve heard some people saying Weta and Musalia I don’t know what… Mudavadi is my brother,” Wetang’ula stated.

When he took to the podium, Mudavadi also rubbished the reports, saying those spreading the rumours should “stop wasting their ink”.

The former vice president said the two leaders are working with President Ruto to develop the western region.

“I want to assure you that I will work hand in hand with Moses Masika Wetang’ula so that we come together…”

“Ladies and gentlemen please don’t waste your ink. There is no supremacy battle between Wetang’ula and Musalia Mudavadi. Weta is the duly elected speaker and I’ve been appointed by the president as the prime cabinet secretary on the executive side. We all have our responsibilities and let us do our job. Let us serve our people,” Mudavadi noted.

“When we hunt, we hunt with Weta. When we have gotten the price we share. That’s how it’s. So please don’t waste your ink.”

Mudavadi, a former leader of the Amani National Congress (ANC) party leader, teamed up with Ruto in January 2022, just seven months before the August 9 polls.

Together with the Ford Kenya leader, the trio founded the Kenya Kwanza Alliance that later inked deals with several other smaller parties to rival opposition leader Raila Odinga and former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Azimio la Umoja- One Kenya coalition giant, comprising more than 20 parties from across the country.

In joining forces with Ruto, Mudavadi and Wetang’ula defied overtures by Uhuru, who had met the leaders severally at State House to try and sign them up to the Azimio coalition.

The duo, who had earlier declared intentions to vie for the presidency, withdrew from the contest and signed a pre-election agreement that would see Ruto appoint Mudavadi Prime Cabinet Secretary and rally his troops to elect Wetang’ula the National Assembly Speaker.

The leaders would later mount campaigns in various parts of the country, especially in their western backyard, where they managed to deny Raila a substantial number of votes in the area previously regarded as his stronghold.

True to his word, Ruto ensured Mudavadi and Wetang’ula got their share of the bargain after the Kenya Kwanza victory in August.