The Daily Nation today run a story headline confirming what has been in everyone’s minds for a long time, Uhuru will go for PM according to his allies. The headline story ran with the photo of Jubilee Party Vice-Chairman David Murathe, who had just come out of an interview confirming previous remarks by the Party Secretary General.
It appears the plan has gone full circle and 2020 is the year of implementation. While the move stems from the handshake, the handshake did not deliver this solution but the Odinga, Moi and Kenyatta dynasties did.
Coming out of the dual rigged 2017 elections, the country was brutally divided and the future was blink at best, full of uncertainty especially with the crescendo of Raila Odinga’s inauguration as the People’s President. At the time, a highly treasonous move for which one lawyer was charged and another forcefully deported from the country.
But to the political elite, this was like a wake up call. Well, more specifically, for the dynasties. In this context, the dynasties are the families that believe they are owed the right to rule the country for their ‘individual’ contribution to the independence of the country.
The inauguration was the wake up call to forge a new political alliance that will further cement the three central dynasties in Kenya’s politics, the Kenyattas, The Mois and The Odingas. But problem is that the timing was tragically wrong.
Uhuru had committed to Ruto political support for 10 years post his constitutional limit of 2 terms. Problem for the dynasties is that Ruto was bringing to the table hustlers and the Dynasties did not approve. For instance, in Nairobi, the plan was for Peter Kenneth as Governor who would be later groomed for the presidency that securing the role at State House. This flouted with the election of Sonko who was sponsored by Ruto.
So while Ruto was working had to build his 2022 campaign base, the Dynaties were working to flout that in favor for one that would be ideal for their plan. This was the true birth of the handshake.
After the handshake, a lot of high profile political meetings took place whose resolutions were more public for everyone to see.
Raila Odinga who a couple hours back was a treasonous enemy of the state became a high profile guest and later blood brother of the presidency. DP Ruto who was hitherto the Deputy would soon be discarded and every means and ways to push him further away from the presidency were conceived and executed.
While Raila was granted access to high profile meetings, including several with former president Moi, DP Ruto was denied any access to the former president as a way to lock him from claiming endorsement for the kingship role of the Kalenjin community into the 2022 elections.
His team of bloggers who were central in the 2017 campaigns were booted. The president banned any new projects from being launched and investigations soon started many of which were targeting allies who mostly aggrieved the dynasties. Ruto’s role in the cabinet meetings was replaced and even in state photos where the DP is with the President, he would be ignored. It was clear, the promises would not be honored, Ruto should move on.
While this was happening, the handshake committee was going around purportedly listening to people on what kind of constitutional changes should be implemented for a more united nation. This was all a ruse. Initially again the plan was to get Ruto in a fix against what would have been ‘views of the people’. This was revealed in how the DP and his allies were embarrassed at the launch of the BBI report.
At least the plan has now come out more clearly with the confirmation from the president’s allies. In 2020, constitutional changes at parliamentary level will be expected which in all manners and forms might produce a Prime Minister in 2022. This Prime Minister will be Uhuru Kenyatta as the party leader of majority in Parliament.
David Murathe confirmed this by stating that Uhuru remains the Jubilee party leader. It was expected that Uhuru would resign as the party leader and leave DP Ruto as the party leader with Uhuru’s support. Clearly this plan is cancelled and Uhuru would be elected as the PM as the majority leader. A proposal that mimics the UK and Israel as examples.
Raila Odinga is expected to be the president, fulfilling his life long ambition having contested in more than 4 elections. Alongside this new government structure would be positions for politicians whose influence and time have outgrown the Governor’s positions.
It is expected among others that at least, Anne Waiguru, Hassan Joho, Musalia Mudavadi, Gideon Moi and Kalonzo Musyoka will clinch the Deputy Prime Ministers (2No) Positions, a Deputy President and several ministerial positions up for grabs.
For Raila Odinga, it begs the question, why would a former fierce critic of a government gone rogue in impunity, corruption, extra judicial killings, electoral fraud and the list is really long, why would he join the same government and end up forming an alliance with it?
Without offering any solutions to the rampant corruption, a falling economy, joblessness and all issues Kenyans were facing, the BBI report and the handshake solution seems to prefer a solution that puts all parties in power and hopefully, this increased executive would be a solution to everything.
And as it has been said, when something new comes up, something old has to die off. William Ruto’s hope of political support to run on Jubilee ticket for the presidency is gone. No Raila does not need the Jubilee ticket. And probably Jubilee will not field a presidential candidate and instead in the spirit of the handshake support Raila Odinga’s candidature, because in the end, Jubilee party leader would become the Prime Minister and Ruto would be the leader of opposition.
