A huge rally by the united members of the original Ford ahead of the 1992 elections caused a scare in the Moi Cabinet.
This triggered a reprimand by Moi, calling the Cabinet members cowards.
“Why are you shaken by one rally?” he asked.
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The original Ford brought together powerful politicians such Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, Keneth Matiba, Martin Shikuku and the Young Turks led by the likes of James Orengo, Paul Muite, Gitobu Imanyara and Raila Odinga.
Mudavadi says despite of growing anti-Kanu wave by the opposition, outwardly, Moi was unfazed.
“He told us in Cabinet several times that Ford will split by election time.”
“Don’t joke with me when it comes to politics. You will see what will happen. We will beat this people hands down when the election come. Let them jump about.”
The split came sooner than had been anticipated.
The Ford family started quarreling over the mode of settling on their presidential flag bearer.
Jaramogi preferred consensus while Matiba felt it should be a popular vote.
They also quarreled over where their party officials should be located as Moi looked on with bemusement.
When eventually the two factions presented their papers to the attorney-general’s office, each claiming to be the bona fide Ford Party, Wako advised that they should have two different names — he would register both.
And so the opposition played into Kanu’s hands, beginning what would become a regular circle of self-destructive rifts within its ranks.
The revelations are contained Mudavadi's newly-released autobiography Soaring above the Storms of Passion.
