The intrigues of the Uhuru Kenyatta succession have baffled friend and foe alike.
In fact, even within Kenyatta's own political house that Jubilee is, his plans dumbfound and confound beyond belief because the kind of thunderbolt that has hit his challengers in the party.
The blow was beyond the wildest imagination of his deputy William Ruto.
We know that in politics there is no permanent friend or enemy. That is why the kind of issues Kenyatta is executing, with regard to his succession politics, is inspired by his political interest, not the interest of Jubilee as a party.
When we consider the names that are being thrown up as potential players in the succession game, whether it be Fred Matiang’i or Mutahi Kagwe, I would say politics and bureaucracy are worlds apart.
Until somebody steps into a political arena, as long as they remain bureaucrats within a political system or within a government structure, they cannot assumed they can survive he topsy-turvy of politics as we know it in Kenya.
Today, Fred Matiang’i is the chief minister as a result of Kenyatta's executive order of 2019.
He is the blue-eyed boy of the Kenyatta administration. In fact, you can never imagine of a better broom for Kenyatta than Matiang’i. He has the ability and the drive to sweep clean.
But Matiang’i still remains a bureaucrat and needs lots of time to emerge as a shrewd politician.
In fact he is still learning how to deal with politicians. It would even be very challenging for him if he found himself getting embroiled in political battles even in his Kisii backyard.
Just because he is an effective administrator does not mean he can be a good politician.
If you look at Mutahi Kagwe, he knows how to play politics. He has been in government at high level before in the Kibaki’s administration.
He is executing the mandate of the Health ministry in a very impressive way, it should not be assumed that now he is at a position that can make him a heir apparent of Kenyatta’s political turf.
The two gentlemen are great and admired administrators, but in terms of inheriting Kenyatta's mantle they still need time.
The governance expert spoke to Star
