Uhuru Kenyatta's campaign dilemma over allies

President Uhuru Kenyatta will be walking a tight rope as he embarks on his re-election campaign in Baringo and Kirinyaga counties.

This is because Mr Kenyatta will be torn between campaigning for his Jubilee Party candidates or choosing to remain neutral in order not to antagonise the leaders of two parties which have openly endorsed his re-election.

In Kirinyaga, President Kenyatta will be torn between campaigning for the Jubilee candidate for the gubernatorial seat, former Devolution Cabinet Secretary Anne Waiguru or remaining neutral lest he antagonises Narc-Kenya leader Martha Karua, who is seeking the same seat on her party’s ticket. The same dilemma awaits President Kenyatta in Baringo County where Kanu national chairman Gideon Moi is defending his Senate seat against political newcomer, Mr Simeon Chelugei, a close ally of Deputy President William Ruto. Kanu, like Narc-Kenya, has also endorsed President Kenyatta’s re-election even though Mr Moi does not see eye to eye with DP Ruto.

In Kirinyaga, matters are further complicated for President Kenyatta given the new found rapport between the Mr Ruto and Ms Waiguru.

On Wednesday, Mr Ruto hosted Ms Waiguru and a delegation from the county at his office in Karen, Nairobi, during which he declared that he would support her campaigns in Kirinyaga where she is facing off with Ms Karua and the incumbent, Joseph Ndathi who ditched Jubilee Party to run as an Independent candidate.

IF ELECTED

During the Narc-Kenya National Delegates Conference in Nairobi, Mr Kenyatta pledged to have the party as part of the government if he is elected.

Unlike other counties in Central region where the choice is overwhelmingly for the Jubilee candidate, Mr Kenyatta may be compelled to state his stand in Kirinyaga.

But party strategists opined to the Nation that the President may opt to only campaign for himself and ask the voters to make their own choice for other seats.

While campaigning in the county in 2013, Mr Kenyatta called on voters to reject all smaller parties and vote for his The National Alliance (TNA) party. The message was clearly targeted at Ms Karua who was also running for the Presidency on a Narc-Kenya ticket.

This time the President has embraced several parties and the jury is out on how he will handle his campaign in regions where Jubilee-friendly parties have a foothold.

Ms Waiguru is not perturbed by Narc-Kenya’s support for the President.

“Let’s be clear. Various parties including Narc-Kenya endorsed Uhuru candidature for President. This should not be misconstrued to mean that the President has endorsed any other candidates other than those who are of his party where he himself is the chairman which is Jubilee Party,” she said.

She however feels that in the end, the President will campaign for candidates of his party.

'HIS PARTY'

“The President is obligated by the principles that govern his party and those of democracy to drum up support for his party candidates. Anything short of this would weaken his ability to govern when elected as he needs foot-soldiers who subscribe to his manifesto both in the Legislature and at the county level. And the only foot soldiers guaranteed are those from his party,” she said.

In Baringo, President Kenyatta might confront a similar dilemma.

Speaking at the Kanu National Delegates Conference that endorsed his re-election, President Kenyatta promised to incorporate the party in government if he wins on August 8.

Mr Chelugui himself does not see it that way.

“The dilemma is not with the President, it’s with my opponent Gideon Moi. A man who says he supports the President but doesn’t have time for the Deputy President. How can you vote for the President but not vote for Deputy President? It’s not only a dilemma but one wonders which world he lives in,” said Mr Chelugui.

He says Baringo being a Jubilee zone, residents expect the President to campaign for Jubilee candidates.

Kanu has no governor candidate in the county and has also fielded only 2 out of six candidates for parliamentary seats.