• Moi has heightened political activities – hosting party delegates and traversing the country.
• Earlier, Siaya Governor Cornell Rasanga, a close ally of ODM leader Raila Odinga, led a delegation to the home, where it is understood they discussed BBI and 2022 politics.
Image: ANDREW KASUKU
Kanu party leader Gideon Moi has embarked on an aggressive re-branding of the party ahead of an epic battle for president with Deputy President William Ruto in 2022.
Moi, who has expressed interest in the country’s top seat, has heightened political activities – hosting party delegates and traversing the country – in an apparent effort to rejuvenate and shed off the jinx that has been associated with it.
Members familiar with the plans to make the independence party ‘great again’ disclosed that they have lined-up a series of activities that will culminate in the renaming of the outfit to Kanu-Fresh.
The activities come barely a month after the Baringo senator was handed a rungu, a political baton, by his elder brother, Raymond, during the burial of their father, late former President Daniel Moi.
“The cock himself has gone. And if he is gone, I will give Gideon this baton. If he plays with it, I will be here. I am not a statue,” Raymond, who is Rongai MP, said.
The activities officially kicked off last week when Moi hosted more than 1,000 party delegates from at least nine counties in the larger Mt Kenya region at the former President’s Kabarak home in Nakuru county.
Earlier, Siaya Governor Cornell Rasanga, a close ally of ODM leader Raila Odinga, led a delegation to the home, where it is understood they discussed BBI and 2022 politics.
The meeting, coupled with the coziness between Raila Odinga and Gideon brought about by the BBI, has triggered speculation the two leaders could be plotting an alliance ahead of the polls.
On Monday, Tiaty MP William Kamket, a staunch Kanu member and a Gideon confidant, told the Star that the party has lined up a series of meetings of its delegates as a part of a wider plan to revamp the outfit.
More delegations from other parts of the country were scheduled to visit the later former President’s home at the weekend to mourn with his family and engage the party leader.
The meetings, however, have been postponed owing to the threats posed by coronavirus.
“If it were not for coronavirus, we had prepared to host delegations from very many counties. Like yesterday (Sunday), they could have been people from Pokot nation. Today (Monday) could have been people from Kericho and Bomet. It was a continuous programme,” he said.
The legislator disclosed that after the meeting, the party will then embark on a massive rebranding of all its offices across the country.
“We have gone full cycle. We retracing back our roots. We are changing the name to Kanu- Fresh,” he added.
Just before Rasanga’s visit, a delegation from Baringo Central had visited the family and urged Gideon to rise to the occasion and take the political mantle from his father.
Gideon has said the previous events that Kanu had big plans for 2022 and that it had been traversing the country to create linkages with like-minded partners.
Already, the Senator has been holding talks with Raila, Wiper Leader Kalonzo Musyioka and Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho with an eye on the ball.