Uhuru’s brief encounter with Cord leaders starts gossip
PHOTO | GIDEON MAUNDU Mr Uhuru Kenyatta with Bishop Mary Kagendo and Pastor Francis Luyesi (left) of the Kisima Cha Neema Cha Mwana Wa Daudi Church when the clerics prayed for the President-elect during a service in Mombasa on March 17, 2013.
President-elect Uhuru Kenyatta’s accidental encounter with Cord’s newly elected governors and senators at a Mombasa hotel has sparked speculation of a “secret meeting”.
Mr Kenyatta, accompanied by former cabinet minister Najib Balala, walked into Tamarind Hotel where they came face-to-face with governors Hassan Joho (Mombasa), and senators Amos Wako (Busia), Hassan Omar (Mombasa) and Stewart Madzayo (Kilifi).
After hearty greetings and exchange of pleasantries, the president-elect and his entourage headed for a reserved section of the hotel for their lunch.
Mr Kenyatta had arrived there from Bishop Mary Kagendo’s Kisima cha Neema church where he attended Sunday prayers.
But contacted for comment Mr Omar dismissed any sinister motive, saying it was for the coincidental meeting that found them having their internal business lunch at the hotel.
“Courtesy dictates that when somebody greets you, you respond with courtesy but we knew this encounter will be misread by those who witnessed it,” he said on a telephone interview.
According to him the Cord team had met to chart strategies for the forthcoming speakers’ elections for the county and national assembly houses.
And Mr Joho laughed off the meeting, saying the president-elect found them at the hotel taking their lunch “and not vice versa”.
“Apart from shaking hands, there was no other exchange between us and those speculating are just trying to create a mountain out of a mole hill,” he said adding that Mr Wako also found them there.
Through SMS, Mr Balala responded with a “no comment” message to the Nation’s inquiry.
Earlier, Mr Kenyatta urged Christians to pray for peace and stability in the country so that elected leaders can discharge their mandates.
On his visit to the Coast after his election victory, he promised to tackle problems affecting Kenyans as promised during the campaigns.
The president-elect who was accompanied by Nairobi senator-elect Gideon Mbuvi Sonko asked Kenyans to maintain peace so that the Jubilee government can implement its manifesto.
“Where there is peace, the government will have a conducive environment for youths to get employment and also address women issues, “he said.
After the prayer session, Mr Kenyatta said: “Today, I have returned to the church to give my special thanks but very soon we will be back to work Coast residents you in tackling the problems that are affecting all of us.”
