Uhuru to face the mountain this morning
President Uhuru Kenyatta during a past meeting with over 7,000 leaders from Mt Kenya at Sagana State Lodge, Nyeri County, on February 2, 2021.
President Uhuru Kenyatta will today be on his home turf in a do-or-die attempt to reclaim his position as the Mt Kenya political kingpin.
The stage has been set at the Sagana State Lodge in Mathira, Nyeri County, in readiness for the Sagana III meeting, and a critical political gathering ahead of the August elections.
After nine years at the helm of the country’s and region’s political leadership, President Kenyatta must now give an account of his administration’s gains and provide political direction for Mt Kenya.
Divided region
Traffic along the road leading to Sagana State Lodge on February 23, 2022. There are multiple road blocks and security checks along the way with security personnel insisting it's an invite only meeting.
But it is the second part that will be tough for President Kenyatta as the meeting comes amid political divisions in the region.
In fact, the meeting that is said to be for Gema communities has been made invite-only, for those who are allied to the President.
This means that leaders from Mt Kenya who have defected to the Kenya Kwanza coalition and are allied to Deputy President William Ruto will be locked out.
“There is no way some people can be going around disrespecting the President and still expect that he will sit down and have a conversation with them. This is for those who support the President and his ideology,” Kieni MP Kanini Kega told the Nation.
Over the past year, the President has lost key allies as they defected to Kenya Kwanza, pledging their allegiance to his estranged deputy, Dr Ruto. The most notable is Rigathi Gachagua, the MP for Mathira, in whose constituency the meeting will be held.
Hundreds locked out of Sagana State Lodge ahead of Sagana 3 to be chaired by President Uhuru Kenyatta. There are multiple road blocks and security checks heading to the venue. Security personnel insist it's an invite only meeting.
In Dr Ruto’s camp, the MP is a trusted lieutenant, said to be in consideration for the important running mate position.
Nyeri Town MP Ngunjiri Wambugu said the President was only picking someone that he knows would safeguard and carry on his legacy.
Nyeri Town MP Ngunjiri Wambugu at a past function.
He maintained that President Kenyatta had the discretion to invite those he felt were aligned with his agenda.
“We have never questioned those who go to Karen in the name of defecting yet they are still in Jubilee, so they should also not start thinking that they can dictate who the President decided to invite,” said Mr Wambugu.
But the Nation has learned that other friendly outfits have also been invited, including the Party of National Unity and the Democratic Party. DP is fielding Speaker Justin Muturi but it remains unclear if he will attend the meeting.
The guest list aside, the President is expected to declare whom he will back for President. This is going to be a focal point, with a majority remaining sceptical about his supposed support for Azimio la Umoja leader Raila Odinga.
Even though chances of Mr Odinga showing up are slim, he is likely to feature prominently as an agenda item, with his backers expecting an official endorsement.
Delegates take their seats at Sagana State Lodge ahead of Sagana III meeting to be chaired by President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Uhuru under fire
The President is under fire for his participation in the transitional politics, and that will make it a tough call to endorse Mr Odinga, whom he heavily campaigned against in the last two elections.
“It would be irresponsible if the President left government without having a preference on who will take over government, because he has pending projects and a legacy that he needs to live on, and so he will tell us and since we are smart people, we will sit down and make a decision that will reflect on August 9,” Mr Wambugu said.
The President will also be expected to lay bare the reasons he fell out with his deputy before embarking on an accelerated campaign for whomever he backs.
Some leaders from Meru and Tharaka Nithi counties are expected to attend the Sagana III meeting, during which President Kenyatta will announce the way forward for Mt Kenya.
Besides governors from Mt Kenya East counties, Njuri Ncheke elders will also attend the forum, our sources say.
Former Chuka University vice-chancellor, Prof Erastus Njoka, who is vying for the Tharaka Nithi governor’s seat, confirmed he had been invited to the meeting but said he was not among the speakers.
“People have underestimated the influence of President Kenyatta but he has accomplished a lot during his term, including giving us Tharaka University College,” Prof Njoka said.
