In 2002, President Daniel arap Moi was headed for retirement in his palatial Kabarak home.
Typical of an African patriarch, the old man had been scratching his receding hairline, trying to find a young man to inherit his seat at the house on the hill.
It was not long before he settled on Uhuru Kenyatta whom he had pushed to Parliament as a nominated MP in 1997.
Moi had persuaded Kanu’s spin doctor Mark arap Too, popularly known as Bwana Dawa, into relinquishing the seat for the son of Jomo.
Moi’s announcement at Kasarani Stadium sent shockwaves across the political divide. All along, Raila Odinga was sure that he would be declared Moi’s successor.
There was a major fallout between Raila and Moi and they each went their separate ways.
Raila threw his weight behind former Othaya MP Mwai Kibaki, while Uhuru vied on a Kanu ticket and was given a thrashing by the more experienced Kibaki.
It was unimaginable that Kanu would one day reconcile with Raila and that they would work together for a common goal.
Fast forward to 2016 and you find that Kanu and Raila are darlings again. This is happening right now before our eyes. This development gives credence to the saying that in politics there are no permanent friends or eneies, only permanent interests.
Though they have not been seen together in public, wooing voters to their staple, Raila and Gideon are silently mooting ways to spring a surprise on Jubilee in the run up to the 2017 elections.
In the past two weeks, there have been several meetings held between the two parties which will culminate in a high level political gathering in the North Rift. These are tell-tale signs of a new coalition.
Kanu’s top honchos, like-minded politicians and Cord’s brigade will be joined by Knut Secretary General Wilson Sossion. The Knut boss has a big axe to grind with Jubilee after it frustrated the teachers’ struggle for salary increment in September last year.
Sossion has been crisscrossing Kericho and Bomet to woo his thousands of union members to support Kanu’s Paul Sang and the MDPK contender for Nyangores Ward.
Cord is sending emissaries to Kericho to rally its supporters to vote for Kanu’s flag bearer Paul Sang for the senatorial seat.
Nandi Hills MP Alfred Keter has been roped in. The first time legislator has been attending Kanu’s campaign rallies in Kericho and its environs.
The coalition could have fielded a candidate but since it is working closely with Kanu, it is only sensible that they support each other.
Cord and Kanu will soon be replicating what is happening in Kericho in the rest of the region.
The two political outfits are putting their heads together to identify politicians to oppose Jubilee governors in 2017.
Challenging Jubilee in this region will not be a walk in the park, but the grounds are shifting nonetheless.
Deputy President William Ruto is having sleepless nights as his political foes burn the midnight oil to snatch the region from his loose grip.
Rumour has it that Uasin Gishu Governor Jackson Mandago is a marked man. For two reasons it is especially important for the DP’s foes to begin their war on Mandago’s doorstep.
First, the youthful politician is a close ally of the DP. Secondly, Uasin Gishu is Ruto’s backyard. It is politically tactical to start weakening him from his home ground before embarking on other counties where the battle can easily be won.
Mandago is aware of the plans to dispatch him to the political Siberia in 2017 and he is preparing his war chest.
Being the incumbent, he stands a better chance of survival under normal circumstances. However, because of the men behind his opponent, Mandago is aware that the present circumstances are far from normal.
The man expected to give him a run for his money, Kimeli arap Chelilim, is warming up for the race of his life.
President Moi’s other son, Rongai MP Raymond Moi, has jumped into the pool. He is naturally not a man of many words. But of late, he has thrown caution to the wind.
He was recently quoted telling off the Deputy President in Nakuru.
Being his father’s son and Gideon’s brother, it would be unfair if he continued to keep mum as the political future of the region is being discussed in high level meetings.
Raymond said the DP should be stopped from auctioning the Kalenjin community to the highest bidder.
Many agree with him. The community has been through a lot since 2007. It has been thrown left, right and centre by one man who does not like independent minds.
I would like to emphasize that, Rift Valley needs its own political party if it is to wave away a looming political vulnerability in the event that the United Republican Party is officially dissolved next month to pave way for the Jubilee Alliance Party.
Ruto wields immense political clout in the region, but he is slowly loosing it to these competing political interests.
And being a very ambitious politician, Ruto is ready for any political war.