Gideon Moi: Mover and shaker in new Uhuru faction

Kanu chairman and Baringo Senator Gideon Moi’s influence in government has grown immensely since his party signed a post-election coalition deal with Jubilee in May.

Like ODM leader Raila Odinga, Gideon now has sway across government, looking like to a man President Uhuru Kenyatta could be grooming for a bigger job after his own term ends in 2022. 

Gideon is working closely with Uhuru and Raila in what is believed will birth a new formation to take on Deputy President William Ruto.

The Baringo senator's long friendship with Uhuru, which dates back to their days at Nairobi's St Mary’s School in the late 1970s, has propelled Gideon to the centre of power. Today, President Kenyatta speaks to Gideon often on a wide range of issues.

Senior government officials, including Cabinet Secretaries, Permanent Secretaries and heads of parastatals also consult the senator about their dockets.

West Pokot Senator Samuel Poghisio (Kanu) told the Star in a phone interview that Gideon “now has the ear of the President even more than before”.

The Senate Majority leader who replaced Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen in the anti-Ruto purge said “Gideon is the man to watch.”

“My chairman is an ambitious man in the list of 2022 presidential candidates. He is part of the team that is charting the course and he would want to lead at the national level,” he said.

He added, “The President trusts him because of his commitment to his [the President's] development agenda and the support he has given him in and out of Parliament.”  

The son of the former President Daniel Moi is also making inroads in the expansive and densely populated Rift Valley and has been hosting delegations at his Kabarak home.

"The ground is changing. More people are shifting their support to Gideon. Outside Rift Valley, he is gaining acceptance and with time we will hit the road to popularise him further," Tiaty MP William Kamket said.

"He is yet to show all his cards," Kamket added.

In East Africa and beyond, Gideon has developed a close relationship with Uganda's Yoweri Museveni, Rwanda's Paul Kagame and Malawai's Lazarus Chakwera.

In June, Moi represented Uhuru during Chakwera's inauguration in what was interpreted to be introducing Moi's scion to international networks.

Ordinarily, Ruto would have been the one representing the President. However, Gideon was Uhuru’s representative alongside some of his allies, including Kanu secretary general Nick Salat. A military plane flew them to Lilongwe and back.

 The meteoric rise of Gideon’s profile in government has further pushed Ruto to the periphery of government.

Cabinet Secretaries, PSs and other senior government officials have shunned the DP who has been left with few government duties after his falling out with the President.

In the last three months, Gideon's hand has been felt in the running of the Jubilee administration. His influence has been more pronounced in changes made by Uhuru in parastatal leadership, to which his allies got plum posts two weeks ago.

For instance, Kanu secretary general Salat was moved as chair of the Postal Corporation of Kenya and appointed to the lucrative Agricultural Development Corporation as chairman.

At ADC, Uhuru revoked the appointment of former Baringo Governor Benjamin Cheboi, a close associate of the DP.

In the same board, another supporter of Ruto — Paul Chebor — was fired and replaced by Chemutai Barkebo who is said to be a confidant of Gideon. They are both from Baringo county.

The Baringo senator, who is understood to be the favourite of the Kenyatta family to succeed Uhuru, is set to play a critical role in the impeding Cabinet changes.   

Senior government officials and heads of state agencies are trooping to Gideon’s office to pledge allegiance and seek protection from the government that is on the warpath with officials perceived to be allies of the DP.

Even politicians and some businessmen seeking government favours are now going through the senator.

National Assembly Majority Whip Maoka Maore said Gideon will be a beneficiary of one of the top seats in the country.

Maore, a key Uhuru ally from Mount Kenya East, said Gideon has proven that he has what it takes to lead the country.

“The friendship of the President and Gideon started long ago. Remember they went to the same school — the prestigious St Marys, Nairobi — and therefore their chemistry and ideas get along well. The post-election coalition agreement between Kanu and Jubilee is going on well and the President is happy,” he said. 

Last weekend, Gideon joined Raila and Uhuru allies at the home of Cotu secretary general Francis Atwoli where the 2022 lineup was discussed.

Present were Maore, Jubilee vice-chair David Murathe, Siaya Senator James Orengo, former Gatanga MP Peter Kenneth and National Assembly Minority Whip Junet Mohamed.

Gideon's rise and rise has caused disquiet in some Rift Valley circles. 

Two weeks ago, Charang’any MP Joshua Kutuny accused Gideon of being behind the failure by the board of the Kenya Rural Roads Authority to confirm former acting director general Luka Kimeli.

Kutuny said the reason Kimeli was not appointed as the substantive director general was his ties with Ruto.

“We had a meeting where Kimeli said he respects Ruto because he is the DP but he vowed that if it was now Gideon, he has no problem changing his allegiance to Gideon. Gideon still went ahead put his man Philemon Kandie,” Kutuny told the Star.

Kutuny also accused Gideon of engineering changes at the Kenya Power board where, among others, former Nandi Woman Representative Zipporah Kering was sacked. 

At Kenya Power, Elgeyo Marakwet Governor Alex Tolgos, a close friend of Gideon, is understood to have proposed a candidate but was shortchanged at the last minute.

Belgut MP Nelson Koech said that the second-term Baringo senator may claim influence in government but “it will not amount to followership in Rift Valley and the whole country.

“A man sacrificing his own brothers and sisters for the sake of politics is no leader at all. If indeed he has the interests of the people of Rift Valley at heart, why should he engineer the removal of Kalenjins from positions in government?” he asked.

“We are back to the first days of President Mwai Kibaki where Kalenjins were kicked out of government. We voted for this government to a man and we do not regret that. All Kalenjin professionals have been removed from their offices on flimsy grounds in the so-called war on corruption,” Koech told the Star.

He said the people of Rift Valley are fully backing the DP, adding that Ruto is way more popular than Gideon even in his Baringo county.

Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro said even if Uhuru picks Gideon as his preferred successor, the people of Mt Kenya will not vote for him.

He said that Kanu is the reason coffee, tea, pyrethrum and milk sectors collapsed in Mt Kenya. The region fully supports Ruto, he said.

“Gideon can act like the DP of this country, he can even be given chase cars as he wants but the people of Mt Kenya cannot go back to Kanu. Even with Kanu in government now, we are already sliding to those dark days of dictatorship,” he told the Star.

He added, “If you tell Gideon and Raila that you did not eat last night, they would ask you if it was because there was no cooking gas or electricity. They have no idea what it means to go without food. Enough is enough with the dynasties.”

He said anyone doubting the popularity of Ruto in the Mt Kenya region “should embark on a mission to conduct an opinion poll.

“Let those few leaders supporting Gideon and Raila in Mt Kenya take them there; they will get to know the truth of the heartbeat of the Mt Kenya region,” he said.

(edited by o. owino)

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