Raila brunch with Kivutha Kibwana and Mukhisa Kituyi raises eyebrows
ODM leader Raila Odinga chats with (from left) Makueni Governor Kivutha Kibwana, former UNCTAD boss Mukhisa Kituyi and Siaya Senator James Orengo in Nairobi on February 18, 2021 after meeting over lunch.
What you need to know:
- The four played a part in the Second Liberation, fighting President Daniel arap Moi’s one-party state.
- Prof Kibwana has bolted out of the Kalonzo Musyoka-led Wiper party, on whose ticket he won a second term as Makueni governor.
Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) chief Raila Odinga yesterday hosted presidential hopefuls Mukhisa Kituyi and Kivutha Kibwana.
Details of the meeting, also attended by Siaya Senator James Orengo, remained scanty but the presence of Dr Kituyi, who last week announced his bid for the top job, and Prof Kibwana, who at some point was seen to be drifting towards DP William Ruto, was telling.
The four played a part in the Second Liberation, fighting President Daniel arap Moi’s one-party state, and the reinvention of opposition politics in the 1990s.
Long-time allies
“Had brunch with long-time allies Governor Kivutha Kibwana and Daktari Mukhisa Kituyi. Senator James Orengo also showed up. Good seeing Daktari Kituyi after such a long time away from home,” Mr Odinga said on Facebook.
Dr Kituyi, a former minister and former United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (Unctad) Secretary-General, formally announced his bid on Sunday, saying, he is the best man for the top job.
Though he said he’s not currently associated with any of the leading camps in the race for the State House, Dr Kituyi added that he is open to engaging any of the contenders.
Safe zone
“The fact that I am outside the forest means I can see the canopy better than some of those inside. I am not in Nasa or Jubilee. I am not in Kieleweke or Tangatanga,” he told journalists in Nairobi on Sunday.
“What I have is a safe zone where I encourage people that you can land in here without any scars occasioned by our history, without any sense on laws of prestige or face.”
Prof Kibwana has bolted out of the Kalonzo Musyoka-led Wiper party, on whose ticket he won a second term as Makueni governor.
Joint campaigns
Even though Mr Odinga has not announced his bid, he is seen as the frontrunner in his party’s search for a 2022 presidential candidate where governors Hassan Joho (Mombasa) and Wycliffe Oparanya (Kakamega) have also expressed interest.
Yesterday’s meeting comes at a time the One Kenya Movement comprising Mr Musyoka, his ANC counterpart Musalia Mudavadi, Ford-Kenya’s Moses Wetang’ula and Gideon Moi of Kanu have launched joint campaigns for upcoming by-elections and a possible 2022 pact.
