Democratic Party calls for end to talk on Uhuru succession

DP Chairman Esau Kioni. He has told Jubilee leaders to concentrate on current campaigns instead of 2022 succession politics. PHOTO | JOSEPH KANYI | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Once the President succeeds in the August elections, Mr Kioni said, the Jubilee politicians can strategize for 2022.
  • He said the concern for now is to ensure President Kenyatta goes back to office.
  • He said Mt Kenya region should not fear that there will be a vacuum after the President’s exit from active politics.

The Democratic Party (DP) has called on Jubilee leaders to end debate on who will succeed President Uhuru Kenyatta in 2022, warning that the talk is detrimental to the President’s current re-election campaigns.

DP Chairman Esau Kioni has said that debate on the 2022 election campaigns are premature since political dynamics change very fast.

“Engaging in President Kenyatta’s succession debate is unnecessary and the politicians will be conducting two campaigns simultaneously which is likely to cause damage to his re-election bid. We must address the current issue which is to ensure he gets back to office,” said Mr Kioni on Monday.

He challenged political parties supporting the President’s re-election bid to focus their energies on ensuring he earns another five-year term in office.

ENDORSED UHURU

Recently, the DP party endorsed the President’s re-election during a national delegates’ conference held in Nairobi where Mr Kioni confirmed that the party will participate in presidential campaigns.

Mr Kioni observed that residents of Mt Kenya region should have no fear that there will be a vacuum after the President’s exit from active politics, noting that “it does not take long to nurture a leader”.

“Political dynamics switch very fast and nobody knows how the situation will be like ahead of 2022. Some of the current leaders might not be at the helm of leadership because we are yet to deal with the 2017 contest,” he explained.

Once the President succeeds in the August elections, Mr Kioni said, the Jubilee politicians can strategize for 2022.

“Having a leader is a matter of clothing him. There is no scarcity of leaders in the region and therefore there should be no fear of (political) vacuum,” he noted.