Why Mudavadi, Wetangula skipped Ruto-Raila deal signing ceremony

As President William Ruto and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga signed a landmark agreement to work together on Friday, two notable figures were conspicuously absent from the event: Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi and National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula.

Their absence from the signing ceremony, held at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) on Friday, sparked speculation and raised questions about their stance on the political pact.

However, a fact check by Citizen Digital has confirmed that the pair were tending to other official engagements.

Mudavadi first attended a Kenya Kwanza Parliamentary Group (PG) meeting at State House, chaired by President Ruto earlier in the morning, where the ruling coalition’s legislators endorsed the signing of the cooperation deal between the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) parties.

Following the meeting, Mudavadi held another meeting at his office at 10am before heading to Bomet and Kakamega Counties to represent President Ruto in various functions.

In Bomet, the Prime CS attended the funeral of Mzee David Kiplang'at Arap Kirinyet, the father of Dr. Aurelia Rono, Principal Secretary for Parliamentary Affairs, held in Chemaner village.

Later in the day, the Prime CS represented Ruto at a Thanksgiving Service at Friends’ Boys School in Lugusi, Kakamega, where he presented a bus to the learning institution in honor of late Malava MP, Malulu Injendi.

Wetangula, on the other hand, was in Kimilili, Trans Nzoia County, where he commissioned an 8-classroom story building at the Daraja Mungu Comprehensive School in Kibingei Ward, at the invitation of Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa.

He later attended the requiem mass for the late former Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Chairman Wafula Chebukati.