ANC Party leader Musalia Mudavadi has stirred political interest after he visited politician and business tycoon Nginyo Kariuki.
Tuesday’s visit in Limuru was loaded with political symbolism.
Mudavadi was accompanied by top politicians and businessmen, some close associates of retired President Mwai Kibaki.
Top Jubilee leaders in Kiambu county including branch chairman were among those who received Mudavadi for lunch.
The ANC boss held a two-hour closed-door meeting with his host who is understood to have advised him to work closely with President Uhuru Kenyatta.
It’s also understood that Nginyo gave Mudavadi his blessing for the country’s top job in 2022.
Nginyo is among the oldest surviving multiparty democracy crusaders. The businessman has a massive financial empire.
He and contemporaries Njenga Karume and Stanley Githuguri – the Kiambu trio – own multi-billion shilling buildings along Koinange Street, a thoroughfare which coincidentally is named after a Kiambu son—paramount chief Koinange wa Mbiyu.
Nginyo owns Nginyo Towers and Karume Kianda House while Githunguri owns Lillian Towers.
The ANC boss, who has been marketing himself as the de facto opposition chief, said although he is championing for accountability in government, he is "not far from President Kenyatta”.
He said his actions are meant to ensure that Uhuru, with whom he served in the Grand Coalition Government as deputy Prime Minister, achieves his goals and builds a good legacy.
“I want people to know that I am not far from Uhuru Kenyatta even though I am insisting that he should handcuff the corrupt who will ruin his legacy,” Mudavadi said.
Among those present was Eric Wanjohi, son of Prof Nick Wanjohi, who served as Kibaki’s private secretary.
Wanjohi and a coterie of State House mandarins during the Grand Coalition Government are said to have covertly supported Mudavadi’s presidential bid that flopped in 2013.
Cyrus Njiru, who was Transport Permanent Secretary under Kibaki, was also present as were MPs Omboko Milemba, Oku Kaunya and ex-legislator Andrew Ligale.
Njiru is the interim vice chairman of the newly registered Transformation National Alliance Party (TNAP).
Political heavyweights are eyeing the vote-rich Mt Kenya block as Uhuru, who is seen as the regional kingpin, retires in three years' time.
Deputy President William Ruto is fighting to retain his stranglehold on the region despite some Uhuru allies strongly opposing his bid.
Opposition chief Raila Odinga could also be banking on his newfound friendship with the President to inherit his political base.
