HOW RAILA HID THE HANDSHAKE FROM US
EXCERPTS FROM MUSALIA MUDAVADI’S BOOK , SOARING ABOVE THE STORMSOF PASSION
Unbeknown to the rest of us, Raila had entered into a conversation with President Uhuru Kenyatta on the swearing in and on the election fiasco of the previous year. It must have been a closely guarded secret. There was not even the slightest hint that anything of this sort could be going on. The handshake of Friday 9 March between the two gentlemen therefore came as a total surprise to me. Earlier that week we had met as co principals and Raila mentioned to us in this meeting that he had received letters of cancellation of his Visas by various foreign missions to Kenya. He showed us a copy of such letters. He was particularly keen to know what the Americans were planning. I cross checked with ambassador Godec, who affirmed similar actions were not off the table. I was on my way to the airport, on a mission at the coast when Senator Khaniri called me.
Khaniri: Hey Musalia?
Me; Yes my brother?
Khaniri: Where are you?, I can see Raila shaking hands with Uhuru.
Me: What are you talking about? I am on my way to the airport to catch a flight to Mombasa, I have no information about such event.
Khaniri: (shocked) Are you sure, please find some TV and watch what is going on.
A flurry of other calls flowed in. Kalonzo called me to ask if i was aware of what was going on. I told him that i was unaware. He then told me Raila had tried to call him but they had not talked. In a short while, Raila got through to me. He inquired about my whereabouts. He indicated that there was a major development and that he wanted to brief me. It was of course too late. We were just about to board and in any case, we had already seen the breaking news. Meanwhile, i got to learn that Wetangula had travelled to Bungoma and that he had also not been briefed about this development.
Kalonzo, Wetangula and i decided to have a meeting. Raila got to know of our meeting and suggested that he should join us. He joines us with Orengo, Kalonzo came with Johnston Muthama and Governor Kibwana while Wetangula came with David Eseli and Boni Khalwale. My Party Secretary General Barrack Muluka and Nambale MP John B Bunyasi accompanied me. It was a very tense session. Raila insisted that some members of ANC, Wiper and Ford Kenya leave the room. They were posing rather uncomfortable questions and his discomfiture was quite clear. After a few moments of tension, they obliged. Now Raila tried to explain his perspective of the handshake. To be continued…………….