Uhuru dilemma in appeasing Mt Kenya voters and leaders

President Uhuru Kenyatta was last week brought face to face in a most public manner with a dilemma that has faced all his predecessors.

Every president has had to find a balance between satisfying the demands of his ethnic base, and focussing on his mandate as the leader of all Kenyans.

At first glance, this should be a no brainer. The President of the Republic of Kenya is not President of the Kikuyu or Kalenjin or any other ethnic cluster.

UNCOMFORTABLE

It would be utter folly, however, for any president to disregard his political base. An undeniable, if uncomfortable, fact is that no politician in Kenya can be a national player unless he first secures a sizeable ethnic stronghold.

One may use command of a constituency to ascend to national leadership, but it is also obvious one cannot rise on an ethnic vote alone, and must build alliances and secure votes across boundaries.

The balancing act can easily be upset when provincial politicians exert pressure on a president to accord them special attention.

SHENANIGANS

That is the situation President Kenyatta recently found himself in when central Kenya leaders pressed demands for what they called a fairer share of development resources.

The President rightfully reminding them that development funds are not doled out from State House, but as part of the national budgetary process in which they, as legislators, play a central role.

What really made news about the encounter, however, were the shenanigans about the presidential succession as Mr Kenyatta serves out his second and last five-year  term.

LARGESSE

The President seemed aware that the MPs were sending a message that they have another reference point, which pays more attention to their ‘needs’. That would be Deputy President William Ruto, whose campaign for the 2022 presidential election is well underway and matching the ‘generosity’ of the Moi regime when it comes to spreading the largesse.

The President upbraided the MPs for spending all their time on premature election campaign jaunts instead of serving their constituents, and starting to behave as he was no longer of consequence.

SPECULATION

There has been speculation, however, on what exactly the President meant. Last Friday, the two main daily newspapers ran virtually identical headlines on President Kenyatta telling the central Kenya MPs that they would be shocked on who he endorses as his successor. The interpretation was that the President meant his choice would not be Mr Ruto, but the quotes used by both papers to didn’t quite justify that conclusion.

ALTERNATIVE

All the same the Ruto camp was unhappy, and suspicious that the newspapers had been manipulated by his foes in President Kenyatta’s inner circle to splash a false spin on his words. Those spreading the alternative spin probably did not pause to consider that if true, a push from State House in that direction would only serve to confirm what the President meant.

There was another quote that could be even more prescient. Opening the revamped Karatina Market in Nyeri, the President defended his peace pact with Raila Odinga, saying he sought accommodation “so that we can have peace and be able to serve our people’’.

BULLETS

Then he turned to what could only have been in reference to Mr Ruto: “That’s what I’m telling leaders, and leaders from our region are the ones who have been captured by… I don’t know what has captured them. But now is when they want to start politicking, and I’m telling them, ‘you start but that’s your business, I’m not with you’”.

He went on to chastise those presuming he was a lame duck since he was in his last term, revealing that one of the leaders present had suggested that his “gun has run out of bullets”.

REFERENCE

He went on to insist that while silent now, he would still have a say come the 2022 elections, warning the MPs that he would stand with those who support him in development efforts, while “The loudmouths will go home and we’ll bring in the ones who will work for the people”.

That was in specific reference to the MPs who will be seeking his support for re-election, rather than whom he supports for president.

CROSSHAIRS

It is germane, however, that the MPs in President Kenyatta’s crosshairs are the ones who have joined the Ruto campaign train, and they are generally being told to cease and desist.

Whether they will heed the warnings is another issue altogether. A lot will depend on whether an outgoing president retains the clout to dictate the political direction in his community, if not across the country. That might be a hard sale unless Mr Kenyatta can rise to transcend the holding of elected office.

[email protected]; @MachariaGaitho