What next for Kanu ahead of 2022 elections?

The death of the second and longest-serving President Daniel Moi on February 4, heralded a new dawn in the chapter of the ruling party Kanu.

Though Moi’s son Gideon Moi has been the Kanu chairman, the death of the former President signalled the official handover of the mantle to the Baringo Senator.

During the closing of Moi’s burial service, Rongai Raymond Moi was given the former president’s symbolic ‘rungu’.

However, Raymond, passed the baton to the last-born, Gideon, signifying the transfer of political power to the senator.

The stage has been set for a political showdown between Gideon and Deputy President William Ruto for the control of the populous Rift Valley heading into the 2022 elections.

Gideon has aligned himself and Kanu to the Building Bridges Initiative spearheaded by President Uhuru Kenyatta and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

The Baringo Senator for the first time appeared at the BBI rally in Kinoru Stadium, Meru a few weeks ago where he urged the Gema community to support the initiative for inclusivity and a better Kenya.

Kanu secretary general Nick Salat has on several occasions made no secret on the fact that Kanu led Gideon will play a pivotal role in the upcoming elections.

Salat during a recent interview said Gideon will be at the centre of it all and as a party, they will ask him to lead the party to take its rightful position in Kenyan politics as well as re-awaken, re-activate and re-connect with their ‘massive and unmatched grassroots following’.

“This 2020 means a lot to us as a party; we are going to do vigorous grassroots sensitisation and Kanu is not an island, we are also looking forward to really taking our rightful place in this country’s political landscape,” Salat said.

It is likely that Kanu will form an alliance with other parties ahead of the 2022 polls with the view of being part of the next government.

A section of Amani National Congress leaders last month vowed to work with Gideon Moi.

The MPs who held a closed-door meeting in Butere to discuss the future of their party and said Gideon was ‘a better Kalenjin leader to work with’ going int 2022.

Lugari MP Ayub Savula said they as the Luhya community, they now recognise Gideon as the spokesman of the Kalenjin community after Moi’s death.

“We will work hard to form an alliance with Gideon. We will invite him to come to Western, and we will also visit him to ensure we come up with a Luhya Presidential candidate in 2022. Thereafter we will return the mantle back to them,” Savula said.

Elgeyo Marakwet Governor Alex Tolgos who is spearheading the BBI team in Rift Valley supported the handing over of the mantle to Gideon saying the Kanu Chairman was up to the task.

“From the blessings, he got from the country he can now go across the country to look for support,” Tolgos said.

However, Political Analyst and media consultant Philip Chebunet said Moi’s demise has left Kanu weakened and this will see less commitment by the party leadership.

Chebunet opines that Kanu has to form an alliance in order to have a realistic chance to survive our current politics.

“They have very little chances in the Rift Valley if they don’t support DP Ruto who is the dominant player in the region. Gideon and co. are gambling…perhaps BBI will give them a seat but they don't have the wherewithal to go it alone,” Chebunet told the Star.

The analyst says Kanu may get an MP or few MCAs, especially where other parties’ nominations are bungled and the people support a candidate who resonates with people.

“It’s a pure survival and scavenging tactic for KANU in the rift valley,” he adds.