Gideon Moi's ambition raises concern over Uhuru's successor

What you need to know:

  • Pundits say that should Senator Moi decide to run for the presidency, then he needs to re-invent himself in terms of approach to politics.
  • Gideon Moi is on record as saying he has what it takes to be Kenya’s fifth president and that he will go flat out to rally voters behind him.

Recent developments on the political scene have sent tongues wagging about the possibility that Baringo Senator Gideon Moi is being groomed to succeed President Uhuru Kenyatta.

The Kanu chairman and son of retired President Daniel Moi last week received Opposition leader Raila Odinga at his father’s Kabarak home in what observers say could be about the next General Election. 

Mr Odinga caused a stir when, in the company of Vihiga Senator George Khaniri and Mvita MP Abdulswamad Nassir, visited retired President Moi at his Kabarak home where he was received by among others – Gideon, Kanu secretary-general Nick Salat, Tiaty MP William Kamket (Kanu) and increasingly outspoken Moiben MP Sila Tiren.

“Should President Uhuru Kenyatta, Raila Odinga, Mwai Kibaki and Moi’s family come together to back one candidate for the Presidency, then this country will witness a campaign like no other since independence,” Mombasa politician Abdul Bafadil says.

DP RUTO LEFT OUT
Senator Moi has not kept secret the fact that he is angling to run in 2022, a fact that has not gone down well with Deputy President William Ruto, who has a firmer stranglehold on the expansive Rift Valley and – as the second in command – is a breath away from State House.

Those pushing the theory that Mr Moi could be Central Kenya elite’s preferred choice of Mr Kenyatta’s successor claim the President may no longer be keen on fronting his Deputy for the top seat.

They cite the fact that the President has in recent months performed important functions like naming his Cabinet alone.

The junior Moi is said to be in talks with a cross-section of leaders from Jubilee and the larger Nasa coalition with a view to forming a coalition ahead of the next General Election and convincing them to pick him as the presidential flagbearer.

FLAGBEARER
Mr Salat in an interview on Saturday said that the party will field a candidate in the 2022 General Election with its chairman being the flagbearer.

“Kanu is seeking partnership with Kenyans and political parties with similar ideals ahead of the next General Election and you will, in days ahead, witness a flurry of activities in the political arena as we hit the ground running,” Mr Salat said.

Mr Salat said the junior Moi would not be seeking to be a Kalenjin flagbearer but a national leader with the means to unite the country and bring to an end the tribal alignments witnessed during and after successive elections since the advent of multiparty democracy in Kenya.

The former Bomet MP said: “If it happens that the DP will be on the ballot, then Rift Valley will be represented by two of their sons in the race to occupy the house on the hill and Kenyans will make their choice on the kind of leader they want from the region as the personality of the two – Ruto and Moi – are oceans apart.”

CAMPAIGNS
He said Gideon is respected and acceptable across the board.

“He is not going to be a hard sale as presidential material,” Mr Salat said.

Pundits say that should Senator Moi decide to run for the presidency, then he needs to re-invent himself in terms of approach to politics and shed the tag of being in his father’s shadow.

“For sure, Gideon has not come out openly and personally to state that he will run for the presidency.

"He is leaving everyone around him guessing. There are no activities around him to indicate he is assembling a team to run his campaigns for high office. Whether or not this on his part is a strategy, remains to be seen,” Mr Jonathan Bii, an Eldoret politician said.

MOI'S SHADOW
Emurua Dikirr MP Johana Ng’eno (Kanu) said Gideon needs to hit the road running if he hopes to make an impact in the next General Election and that he should not rely on the support his father has in the country.

“Gideon should not expect to get the presidency on a silver platter for the simple reason he is a son of a former president.

"It is about time he cut a niche for himself as his own man as a lot works in his favour,” Mr Ng’eno said.

Mr Ng’eno added: “Though the Kanu chairman’s name is being bandied around as a possible presidential contender, the truth of the matter is that DP Ruto, by virtue of the office he is holding, has a head start in the contest.”

WEALTH
Tiaty MP William Kamket said that although the Baringo Senator had a privileged background, he had exhibited a lot of humility and has the commitment towards turning around the economy and holding the Kenyan society together.

“Those vilifying Gideon for his privileged background should take to the podium and tell us why they did not condemn Uhuru, the son of a former president, when he ran for the presidency. Why are they applying double standards now?” Mr Kamket asked.

Mr Kamket said the fact that the Kanu chairman did not publicly appear as an aggressive go-getter was not necessarily working against him as that is where his strength is.

“Who would have thought that Mwai Kibaki, with his demeanour, would rise to be the country’s president at a time when he was facing opposition from Raila Odinga, Simeon Nyachae, Kijana Wamalwa (who became Kibaki’s Vice-President) and Mrs Charity Ngilu?” Mr Kamket asked.

COMPETENT
Both Mr Kamket and Mr Salat have no kind words for the DP, claiming he was using intimidation, blackmail and manipulation in his bid to silence his critics in the Rift Valley.

Gideon is on record as saying he has what it takes to be Kenya’s fifth president and that he will go flat out to rally voters behind him ahead of the 2022 poll.

“I will go out and seek partnership with Kenyans of all stratum of class society, bring on board youth, women, marginalised groups and communities to drive the agenda for a cohesive society,” Mr Moi said recently.

Senate Majority Leader Kipchumba Murkomen and his National Assembly counterpart Aden Duale are of the opinion that Senator Moi does not stand a chance to succeed Uhuru in the presidency.