- The Mt Kenya tycoons have been accused of fronting Raila as Uhuru's successor.
- The wealthy businessmen are planning a Limuru Three retreat to unveil their choice.
Image: MERCY MUMO
President Uhuru Kenyatta’s 2022 succession think tank - Mount Kenya Foundation -is facing a delicate balancing act to ensure opposition bigwigs back a joint candidate.
The Star has established that the foundation, which is interviewing Uhuru’s presumptive successor, is walking a tightrope to pick their choice while appeasing losers as well.
This even as the influential businessmen were forced to openly fight off claims that they are fronting ODM boss Raila Odinga as Uhuru’s heir apparent ahead of the 2022 polls.
The MKF team must ensure that their pick for Uhuru successor is not only acceptable among the opposition chiefs but also receives the backing of his compatriots to bolster victory chances.
On Thursday, MKF held a meeting with Oka chiefs Musalia Mudavadi (ANC), Kalonzo Musyoka (Wiper), Gideon Moi (Kanu), Moses Wetang'ula(Ford Kenya) and Cyrus Jirongo of UDP.
They had a fortnight ago also met Raila as they started the process of listening to the main players in Uhuru’s 2022 succession before settling on one of them as the best suited to take over from the President.
The sessions have been seen as part of the tycoons’ elaborate plan to finally corner the Oka bosses to back Raila after the President signalled he prefers the ODM boss to succeed him next year.
On Friday, former Eldama Ravine MP Musa Sirma admitted that the team is in a massive dilemma on how to pick Uhuru’s successor while at the same time appeasing the Oka chiefs.
The Oka chiefs have warned that any attempt to impose a pre-determined candidate would boomerang.
“It is almost a given that Raila will be their choice but how to deal with the disaffection that will follow is their biggest headache,” the former Cabinet Minister.
The ex-Kanu stalwart who now supports Ruto said the MKF was taking the 2022 presidential hopefuls in a public relations exercise while they have a pre-determined candidate.
“It is a no brainer that Raila is their choice and instead of trying to sit in long luncheons to buy time, they should declare the ODM leader their presidential candidate and meet us in the field,” he said.
Politicians and analysts have argued that the One Kenya Alliance chiefs must unite with Raila if Uhuru has to form a formidable team to beat his Deputy President William Ruto next year.
There are fears in Uhuru’s camp that a fragmented opposition would vanquish Uhuru’s bid to block Ruto from becoming the tenant at State House for the next five years.
The MKF businessmen are on the horns of a dilemma on how to rally the opposition leaders together yet there are no additional positions after the BBI was rejected.
The Building Bridges Initiative process was to provide additional positions including a prime minister and two deputies that would have anchored a broad-based coalition against Ruto.
The President has irretrievably fallen out with his deputy and appears determined to block his presidential dream amid signals he prefers Raila to take over from him.
There are indications that while Musalia is said to be playing hard ball, Kalonzo and Gideon could be quietly working on a behind-the-scenes deal with Raila’s men ahead of the 2022 polls.
Kalonzo is considered a pricey political heavyweight at the moment given that he has the capacity to galvanise over 2 million votes from his Ukambani turf.
Raila’s think tanks believe they can beat Musalia in his Western backyard and romp to State House without his support.
Raila has hinted that he will declare his presidential candidature at the end of the month or early November after concluding his countrywide Azimio La Umoja consultative forums.
His declaration is timed to concide with the MKF's choice of Uhuru's successor to give the ODM boss a massive springboard for 2022.
Nominated MP Maina Kamanda, a key Uhuru ally, said there is a broader plan to unite the opposition bigwigs to face Ruto, admitting that any divisions would be costly.
“This is the time the luminaries should look at the public mood and unite for the sake of the country. Kenyans are excited and want us to work together to stop Ruto,” he said.
The former Starehe MP, who supports Raila’s 2202 presidential bid, said the Oka chiefs should realise that going it alone would give Ruto a lot of latitude to defeat the President’s succession plan.
Signalling the task they face, MKF chairman Peter Munga also stressed the need for the Oka chiefs to work together with Raila ahead of the 2022 polls saying, “Uniting is better for the country that you.”
Giving an account of the how they tried in vain to unite retired President Mwai Kibaki with Kalonzo in 2007, Munga warned:
“If that friend of ours (Kalonzo) had accepted our request (to support Kibaki) the infamous post-election violence of 2007-08 would not have occurred.”
He went on: “The same may be said even today that the five who are here may not want to curtail their ambition because of the fear of what they think the future holds for them, but the benefit of uniting is much bigger for Kenya than you.”
Kalonzo, Musalia and Gideon have declared they want to run for President and, although their Oka outfit is seen as having stalled, they insist they will stay united to the end.
They are yet to pick steam and are dithering as Raila and Ruto sprint for the 2022 marathon.
The MKF - the exclusive club of wealthy businessmen from the President’s backyard - had on Thursday hinted that it would take longer before they unveil their choice.
After holding interviews with Raila and Oka, they are expected to retreat for two weeks of deliberation before convening a crucial meeting dubbed the Limuru Three to unveil their pick by November.
On Thursday, MKF vice chairman Titus Ibui sought to downplay claims that they had a preferred candidate and that they were taking the OKa chiefs through a PR exercise.
“As Mt Kenya Foundation, we have no preferred candidate. We have given you (Oka principals) the key to walk to Mt Kenya and convince the people,” said Ibui at the meeting at Safari Park Hotel, Nairobi.
“The people in the region will deliberate and make a decision. We go to Limuru Three to make a decision on our preferred candidate,” he added.
This was after Jirongo, a new entrant into the Oka outfit, let the cat out of the bag claiming that there were fears the MKF is favouring Raila.
He said any perceived feeling of unfairness in settling on a candidate by the region may trigger a revolt among the opposition chiefs.
“First of all, let us not have a preferred leader. All these people are capable. Let all of us work as a team, and at the right time Kenyans will see who is the most qualified to take us through this very risky period,” he said.
It is not clear whether the MKF would manage to avoid a 2007 scenario in which their bid to convince Kalonzo to back Kibaki flopped.
Kibaki beat Raila in the contested presidential election with less than 300,00o votes as Kalonzo walked away with 800,000 votes he needed to solidify his victory.
Edited by Henry Makori