The plot to deliver Mt Kenya to a Raila Odinga presidency in the next General Election will see President Uhuru Kenyatta directly confront and dismantle the “hustler narrative” of his Deputy William Ruto.
Dr Ruto, contends Jubilee secretary-general Raphael Tuju, has only been surviving the onslaught because of constitutional intricacies “but enter full succession political dash to State House, he will stand no chance”.
Mr Tuju revealed a reformed Jubilee, a strengthened “handshake” partnership and an energised plot for 2022 that will deliver the best interests of the country to the fore as midwifed by the President and entrusted to Mr Odinga.
“We are running out of patience now. We have the plan ready for implementation. It entails a direct confrontation of this undermining of our kingpin and his political investment in Mt Kenya region,” said former Maragua MP Elias Mbau.
“We have come out in the open now to demand that project Odinga be rolled out. The President is now listening to us. He is ready to roll out the plan in Mt Kenya”.
What is emerging is that the President’s men are pushing for a Mt Kenya politician to deputise Mr Odinga in the proposed succession plan, and they are floating the names of former Gatanga MP Peter Kenneth, National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi and Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru.
Kirinyaga Jubilee chairman Muriithi Kang’ara told the Nation that “when it comes to the top seat, we are in agreement with our President that Mr Odinga is the man”. “We are now negotiating on how to get the second powerful seat”.
Majority Whip Maoka Maore said the plot will be given shape by November when the Jubilee Party will come together with the Orange Democratic Movement, form a coalition with other like-minded parties that already have been identified and launch a brand-new political formation freshly branded to shed off the traditional frosty relations that Mr Odinga has suffered with Mt Kenya voters.
Sports, Culture and Heritage Cabinet Administrative Secretary Zack Kinuthia told the Nation that cultural coalitions will be formed between Mr Odinga and the President “for the purpose of finding that common engagement point towards a succession plan for mutual benefit”.
Mr Odinga’s elders, he said, will soon meet with the President’s elders and announce a coalition of cultural values that will form the basis of cementing a friendship that will culminate in the two sides agreeing on elevating the former premier to power.
He said the math in the scheme is that Mr Odinga will be helped to retain his traditional vote baskets across the country and in Mt Kenya, where he averages 3 percent political acceptance, he will be helped to bag at least 30 percent.
“There are those who have thrived on lies that Mt Kenya cannot vote for Mr Odinga. That happens only when we have a candidate from our own community contesting against Mr Odinga. It also happens in Mr Odinga’s backyard, where we fare poorly when competing against him,” Mr Kinuthia said.
He added that in 2002 when Mt Kenya was not competing against Mr Odinga, the Luo community voted 90 percent in favour of Mwai Kibaki.
“That tells you we have been living a lie that we have tribal resentment between Odinga and us. It’s based purely on stereotypical mindsets,” he said.
Dismantle the hustler narrative
“We have been trying to tell our Mt Kenya political renegades that the President will dismantle the hustler deceit in our region. The time to get practical is now,” he said.
In the proposed plot, Mr Odinga will benefit from financing by Mt Kenya billionaires and be allowed to ride on economic reforms pushed by the government that are increasing incomes for citizens to help him fight the Hustler movement’s bottom-up economic model.
The council of elders that has been vocal in advancing Raila-phobia will also be tamed to his advantage.
The responsibility of hosting delegations seeking to win economic gains will be ceded by the President to Mr Odinga. This will see him stage-managed to emerge as one who will influence the launching of a post-Covid 19 business revival kitty and influence the payment of national and county pending bills to suppliers.
Already, Mr Odinga has said he will soon announce the release of Sh100 million that the government had promised performing artistes to help them battle the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Kikuyu Council of Elders chairman Wachira Kiago yesterday told the Nation that behind the scenes, there have been frantic efforts to reconcile factions that were opposed to an Odinga presidency.
“The President has made it very clear that we must speak in one voice. We have started with our council and we have collapsed our competitions and are silently implementing the interests of the President on the ground,” he said.
The plot, he said, has the President as the project manager and is the one solely responsible for the succession game in Mt Kenya.
“And he did not appoint himself...he is the highest-placed Mt Kenya personality. He is the President, he is the wealthiest and is the reigning kingpin. That automatically qualifies him to be the author of our succession scheme,” he said.
National Assembly Minority Whip Junet Mohamed said that “the handshake fraternity outside Mt Kenya have only one kingpin and candidate — Mr Odinga”. “The President and Mr Odinga are up to something very concrete about our future and it shall be revealed by September. That is why those of us who support the handshake are behaving like government...we are the post-handshake government,” Mr Junet added.
Jubilee vice-chairman David Murathe said the President has made it clear he will stick his neck out and heal the hyped, nonexistent wound of political animosity between the Agikuyu and Luo communities.
“The country needs that healing for it to be guaranteed peaceful coexistence into the future. We are nearly certain that our fifth President will be Mr Odinga,” he said.
Mr Odinga’s point man in the region, Kamau Mweha, told the Nation that “project Odinga in Mt Kenya is live and moving and penetrating the undergrounds of area politics”.
He warned area voters that forming a government is like founding a company where shares invested form the ownership.
“If we do not invest our votes in Mr Odinga, we certainly will have morsels to scramble for,” Mr Mweha said.
“We are certain that the next President will be Mr Odinga and all people of reasonable considerations should realise the urgency of warming a better part of our political soul to him to enable us to be counted on the cake-sharing table.”
The Odinga candidacy, he said, will inherit “all those politicians who are in Kieleweke and will join hands with their Handshake brothers and sisters across the country to form a formidable contest team that will carry the day”.
