The Kibra by-election has raised questions about President Kenyatta’s succession strategy and who he truly supports between ODM leader Raila Odinga and Deputy President William Ruto.
While the President has been consistent in his public support and defence of the handshake with Raila, Ruto’s supporters insist the President has not abandoned their man.
The Kibra by-election has lifted the lid on the President’s perceived delicate bid to hold onto the two protagonists in a strategic move not to disrupt the delivery of his Big Four agenda.
While Uhuru’s supporters among them Nairobi Senator John Sakaja previously said Jubilee would not field a candidate in Kibra, Ruto picked footballer Macdonald Mariga and ensured he was on the ballot against Raila’s candidate Imran Okoth.
On September 18, Embakasi East MP Babu Owino launched a scathing attack on Kenyatta after the President endorsed Mariga.
Owino accused the President of betraying the handshake by choosing to back the former Inter Millan midfielder who is running on a Jubilee ticket.
“Baba must be very careful with this thing called handshake. No fruits so far. We can’t be duped twice. President Uhuru must be genuine with this handshake,” Owino said in a Facebook post.
“Baba, we must be very careful and if the “marriage” is void because one party is incompetent for being in a subsisting marriage or voidable because it’s not consummated then we must be out very fast.
“We need not lie to each other and in return, their intention is to embarrass you. Jubilee must never and will never win Kibra. I’m ready to go back to the bush.”
On Sunday while campaigning, Mariga claimed the Head of State calls him to check on his progress.
“Baba must be very careful with this thing called handshake. No fruits so far. We can’t be duped twice. President Uhuru must be genuine with this handshake ,”MP Babu Owino
“You all know the person who gave me the Jubilee cap? I was with a host of Jubilee MPs. We sat down with the President and he told me during my campaigns I should talk to the Akiguyu community in Kibra and they will not fail to support me,” Mariga said.
A day after Mariga met Uhuru at State House, nominated MP Maina Kamanda met Raila and announced he would campaign for Imran.
Chief Administrative Secretary Rachel Shebesh met women leaders two weeks ago and claimed that the Head of State was ambushed and that he was not backing Ruto.
“He has a mouth. Have you heard him say he supports Mariga?,” paused Shebesh who is known to be close to Uhuru.
“The President is well aware that any mishap to antagonise the Deputy President or Raila would directly slow down his desire to deliver on his legacy programmes,” said university don Macharia Munene.
Munene, a lecturer at the United States International University, told the Star the President is walking a political tightrope.
“The President is largely silent when Ruto and Raila are fighting. For example in Kibra, the President is trying to appease both camps because for him, whatever the outcome, that would be a non-issue,” he said.
Until the handshake last year, Ruto enjoyed a lot of privileges and power. After Uhuru and Raila announced their truce Uhuru went out of his way to shower Raila and defend their deal as he maintains relative harmony between the two politicians.
Ruto and his supporters have seized every opportunity to attack Raila and his ODM even accusing the opposition chief of importing confusion into Jubilee.
As the President has kept off altercations between the two, Raila has been behaving like a state officer and sometimes issuing orders to public servents as his troops launch attacks on Ruto.
RAILA ATTACK
Ruto and his supporters have seized every opportunity to attack Raila and his ODM even accusing the opposition chief of importing confusion into Jubilee.
Unlike before when Kenyatta and Ruto attended the same functions, even wore similar shirts and ties, the President has been conducting his activities alone and is reportedly not consulting the DP as much as he did in his first term.
On the other hand the President has appeared in functions with Raila even celebrated Raila’s birthday in Mombasa on January 7 and visited the Opposition leader in his Bondo home.
NEW FRIENDS?
The President has thrown the two politicians into further confusion by his relationship with ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi.
People close to the Head of State have told the Star that the President has been talking to Mudavadi, his childhood friend, frequently and even encouraging him to continue playing the role of Opposition leader.
During the Kenya Open golf event in Karen early this year, the two are understood to have held a two-hour meeting.
“The body language between the two suggested that they were on the same page,” said a source in the President’s team.
Ford Kenya leader Moses Wetang’ula says the President could swing a surprise because no one knows his plan.
“We do not know what the handshake is about. President is either being dishonest with Ruto or Raila. Both Ruto and Raila are operating in the dark, both trying to make intelligent guesses,” said Wetang’ula.
Starehe MP Charles Njagua said the President is not in any dilemma as he has demonstrated his support for Mariga.
“The President has been clear who he is supporting. It is the other camp that is misguided,” Njagua said.
While Uhuru has avoided to publicly campaigning for Mariga for the November 7 by-election just as he did during the one in Wajir West, he has equally not denounced claims by a section of anti-Ruto forces that he is supporting ODM.
Belgut MP Nelson Koech challenged Uhuru to “put Jubilee’s house in order”, saying his silence has “created a perception that he is a lame-duck President.”
“While I know that the President is fully backing Mariga, it will be in the best interest not just of Jubilee but that of the country for him or through his communication department to come out to clear this confusion,” he said.
Dagoretti North MP John Kiarie dismissed claims Uhuru is not keen on Mariga’s candidacy, saying the Jubilee boss is firmly behind the football star.
“Jubilee has one candidate who was endorsed by President Uhuru Kenyatta himself. Those saying Mariga is not a Jubilee candidate are political rejects who were defeated in the last elections and are bitter with the DP,” Kiarie said.
Embakasi North MP James Gakuya said both Shebesh and Kamanda were embarrassing the President and called on the Head of Public Service Joseph Kinyua to crack the whip on her.
“Kamanda and Shebesh are misleading our supporters that the President does not support Mariga. It is unfortunate that they have been allowed to take that route and disciplinary action should be taken against them. The two should respect the President who is our party leader deputised by DP William Ruto,” he said.
