VicVP Klonzo

e President Kalonzo Musyoka wanted US President George Bush to prevail upon President Mwai Kibaki
to step down in his favour at the last election, apparently on the grounds of ill health, the American
ambassador claimed in a secret cable.

Mr Musyoka told US ambassador Michael Ranneberger that the exit of the president from the race
would spare the nation a crisis if he was forced to pull out of contention shortly before the elections.

Envoys, after private meetings with Mr Kibaki, often remarked in their letters to their bosses how alert,
engaged and well briefed Mr Kibaki was.

The cables also claimed Mr Musyoka knew he had no chance of winning the election but was
determined to play the spoiler for his bitter rival Raila Odinga, and kingmaker for Mr Kibaki.

If Mr Odinga won, the envoy claimed Mr Musyoka told him, he would become “another (Venezuelan
strongman Hugo) Chavez” because he was heavily influenced by socialism.

The revelations by whistle-blowing website WikiLeaks are likely to test the unity between top
government officials as candid observations made by ministers and civil servants who spoke to envoys in
conversations they believed to be private are made public.

In cables seen by the Daily Nation, Kenyan leaders are shockingly unguarded in their discussions with US
diplomats, possibly not knowing that reports on their views would be written.

Mr Musyoka’s discussion with Mr Ranneberger at lunch in early November 2007 is extraordinary for the
level of detail the ODM-K went into in outlining his campaign strategy and pleading for American help.

On Thursday, Mr Musyoka responded through his aide, Mr Muthui Kariuki, describing the cables as the
work of a “very creative” mind that wants to place the vice president and the President on bad terms.
He said it was unfortunate that Mr Ranneberger had “wasted” his tour of duty by collecting “rumours”
which he wired back home in Washington as intelligence reports.

The ambassador has a generally low opinion of the V-P and his language in describing him is some of the
strongest in the cables.

He, for example, describes Mr Musyoka as ‘‘an opportunist’’ and ‘‘intellectual lightweight’’, who had
conceded that he stood no chance of winning the presidency but was determined to stop Mr Odinga
from winning.

“As the conversation developed, it became clear that Musyoka sees himself in the pivotal role of
spoiler/kingmaker.

“Having broken with Odinga on bitter terms, he sees no possibility of working with him. He will focus on
trying to beat Odinga in critical Rift Valley Province.

“He believes that historical ties between the Rift Valley’s Kalenjin community and his Kamba community
will enable him to do so.”

Interestingly, analysis of election strategies by embassy staff in other cables showed that Mr Odinga was
actually counting on Mr Musyoka staying in the race, denying Mr Kibaki votes from Eastern which the
President stood a better chance than Mr Odinga of getting.

The cable says Mr Musyoka did not criticise Mr Kibaki directly but suggested that the Americans should
nudge him to leave the race and give Mr Musyoka a clear run.

“Mr Musyoka, who has consistently polled in either single digits or barely above that, opened (the
discussion) with his version of the ‘Hail Mary pass’ (a very long forward pass in American Football, made
in desperation, with only a small chance of success)
Musyoka expressed concerns about the health of President Kibaki and the negative impact on the
electoral process should Kibaki experience a health crisis before the elections.

Musyoka seriously suggested that President Bush should call Kibaki to urge him to step aside. If Kibaki
were to pull out, Musyoka contended, he would receive much of the support Kibaki had received (based
on the traditional close ties between Kibaki’s Kikuyu community and Musyoka’s much smaller Kamba
community).