2022: Premature jostling could make Uhuru early lame duck

It was disgusting watching on live television the theatrics of politicians at the funeral of Baringo South MP Grace Kipchoim.

The mourning family must have been left shocked and bewildered by utterances of politicians, who mentioned the dearly departed only in passing.

The funeral corrupted into a campaign rally, confirming the crass dishonesty and heartlessness of the Kenyan political animal. It also revealed likely political re-alignments with the premature Uhuru Succession campaigns within Jubilee Party.

Deputy President William Ruto’s boosters from the Jubilee bedrocks of his own Rift Valley heartland and President Uhuru Kenyatta’s central Kenya took advantage of the funeral to reiterate unwavering support for the former’s bid for State House in 2022.

BLOCKING DP

They were mobilised for a coordinated assault on Baringo Senator Gideon Moi, accused of blocking the DP from paying a courtesy call on his ageing father, former President Daniel arap Moi, a few days earlier.

The younger Moi, chairman of the depleted former ruling party Kanu, has also declared his own quest for the presidency in 2022, potentially splitting Mr Ruto’s Kalenjin vote.

But the broadsides fired against Senator Moi were just a diversion, for the MPs were actually addressing President Kenyatta, sending the message that his time is over and they are transferring allegiance to his deputy.

The MPs were signalling their rejection of the President’s famous handshake with Opposition leader Raila Odinga, averring that they are not interested in peace overtures that could result in new alliances to the detriment of Mr Ruto’s presidential aspirations.

HARSH REACTION

The harsh reaction, as seen in another public rally the following day, was obviously informed by suspicion that the Baringo senator is, together with President Kenyatta and Mr Odinga, in the handshake deal.

After all, the younger Moi had earlier facilitated the former Prime Minister’s visit to his father, and Mr Ruto craved his own photo-op with the retired president.

The funeral provided a perfect setting to hit out at the senator in his Baringo County turf and demonstrate who the boss is in Kalenjin politics.

More importantly, it came just days after the State of the Nation address in Parliament, where President Kenyatta had further expounded on the ‘Building Bridges’ initiative and his meeting of minds with Mr Odinga.

Mr Ruto’s acolytes who spoke at the funeral left no doubt that, while the seeming target of their barbs was Gideon Moi — who sat quietly, listening — they were addressing a more potent issue around the Uhuru Succession.

HUSTLER

It is evident that Mr Ruto is already positioning himself, with a campaign machinery ramping up the ‘hustler’ narrative in a clear scheme to distinguish himself from the privileged scions of the Kenyatta, Odinga and Moi dynasties allegedly ganging up to block his ascension to power.

With key Jubilee politicians in rebellion mode, it almost goes without saying that the Kenyatta-Odinga initiative could be dead in the water.

The power play in Jubilee will not allow the team assembled by the President and his erstwhile rival to convene a meaningful national dialogue, leave alone shepherd any legislative proposals towards a new dispensation.

If Building Bridges is stillborn, Mr Odinga will be left with egg on his face, neutered and with nothing to show for embracing a move that only managed to divide and wreck the opposition coalition National Super Alliance (Nasa).

LAME DUCK

President Kenyatta, on his part, will have been shown as a premature lame duck, abandoned by his core support on a brave initiative he clearly hoped would be the one to secure his legacy.

Perhaps one way the two can stave off such a disaster is by ignoring the political classes and going directly to the people.

In the meantime, Mr Ruto might be advised that those vows of undying loyalty from central Kenya politicians might not be worth the spittle they came out with.

He should know better than most that any politician who promises total support from his constituency or ethnic group is a liar. Those fellows who trooped to the funeral did not consult anyone, and they do not direct the vote of their kinsmen.

Mr Ruto knows that the biggest mistake any contender for political office can make is to go over-confident into an election on the strength of victory projections from self-seeking charlatans.

The biggest enemy of any top politician is sycophancy that shields him from reality.

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