Uhuru in Mt Kenya offensive to buttress Raila bid

President Uhuru Kenyatta has lined up a series of activities in his Mt Kenya backyard to rally his troops to support ODM leader Raila Odinga’s presidential bid.

The two will join in addressing rallies and touring projects. The physical proximity of the two leaders will reinforce the message

The head of state is expected to address a third meeting at Sagana State Lodge —  touted as Sagana 3 — where he is expected to deconstruct the anti-handshake forces.

The meeting date is yet to be confirmed but sources said it could be held in the first week of February.

Jubilee vice chairman David Murathe confirmed President Kenyatta will go to Sagana, a state lodge now synonymous with Uhuru's political planning and strategy.

“Yes, we will have Sagana 3 early next month,” Murathe told the Star, a day after announcing that Jubilee and  ODM will hold a joint meeting at Nyayo National Stadium to endorse Raila.

On Tuesday, Tongaren MP Eseli Simiyu told the Star Uhuru confirmed to Western Kenya leaders at State House that he is planning major countrywide tours to "thank Kenyans".

“The President told us that he will be touring the country to inspect projects and to thank Kenyans for electing him,” the DAP-K secretary general said. 

The plan is to hold the Sagana meeting after the conclusion of the Political Parties (Amendment) Bill, 2021 that will anchor Azimio La Umoja as a coalition party.

The President is expected to camp in the region for two days and could be joined by Raila in the inspection of projects executed by the Jubilee government.

The two, the sources indicated, are expected to address joint meetings in Nyeri and Murang'a, the counties where most of the projects due for launch are located.

Some analysts have suggested Uhuru needs to endorse Raila in a huge public gathering to draw  Mt Kenya votes from Deputy President William Ruto.

"President Uhuru Kenyatta and Prime Minister Raila Odinga should hold their first joint Azimio rally in Afraha Stadium under the banner 'Raila Tosha' with all their governors, senators, MPs, MCAs and aspirants for all seats … This will be the real earthquake that will erupt Menengai," lawyer Donald Kiprorir suggested.

In the meetings, the President is expected to deconstruct his deputy’s hustler movement, knocking it down point by point, and explain why he is rooting for Raila.

“The boss is keen on sending the message to all constituencies to defuse the lies that have been peddled over time by Jubilee detractors,” a source at the apex of the arrangements told the Star.

Among the projects scheduled for presidential inspection are the Mau Mau roads, markets in Nyeri and works on the dualling of the Sagana-Marua Road to be completed by April.

The President is also expected to pen the Kenyatta National Hospital Othaya Annex and open the Chaka market in the Kieni constituency.

Kieni MP Kanini Kega said the Sagana meeting will be convened after the parties’ law has been approved by the Senate, and possibly assented to.

“It will be coming. We want to go through the parties’ bill first. The meeting will be before we do the NDC. We are doing the NDC in February. All in all, Sagana 3 is inevitable,” the MP said.

Kega said the meeting will be about the unity of the mountain and where the region’s interest will be best captured in the major political formations ahead of the election.

“As the mountain people, before we make any major decision, we always retreat. When we were doing the Building Bridges Initiative, we retreated and came out with one voice,” he said.

“After the meeting with Uhuru, we will speak with one voice,” he predicted, saying the meeting aims to popularise the Azimio La Umoja Movement.

During the BBI campaigns, the President successfully rallied his allies and leaders from Mt Kenya, more so MCAs to pass the Bill.

All the Mt Kenya counties approved the BBI Bill.

Gatanga MP Joseph Nduati said the tour will come after the President concludes a series of meetings with regional leaders.

The President met leaders from Western on Tuesday and is expected to hold similar meetings with Kamba, Coast, Northeastern and Rift Valley leaders.  

“The tour is on. We are still planning. He [the President] has started meeting with MPs. He has said he will visit all constituencies to speak to the people, inspect development and sell his agenda,” Nduati said.

He said the tours will precede the joint NDC with the Raila-led ODM.

“Just as Murathe announced in Murang'a, we are planning a joint NDC. ODM will do theirs and we do ours and then we do a joint sitting. We are just waiting for the passage of the parties’ law in the Senate.”

He expressed confidence that Raila’s Azimio La Umoja movement was gaining traction with more buy-in expected as the country hurtles towards August.

“We are gaining ground. The majority of Murang’a leaders have backed Azimio. More joined us on Tuesday and we expect the numbers to go higher. We could be doing 50:50 with our competitors so far,” Nduati said.

Ndaragwa MP Jeremiah Kioni said the ground in Mt Kenya “has some sense of direction”, with the President’s visit expected to buttress Raila's chances.

“The Musalia [Mudavadi] and William Ruto union has given momentum to Azimio. It means Azimio is the team to beat. It is upon us to up our game and ensure that we win with a huge margin.”

Kioni said the meeting was important as the country needs to fix its politics first before dealing with the otheri ssues tied to it.

“We will fix our politics and then fix the economy. If you want to help us with the economy, come let us fix the politics first,” the MP said.

“As Azimio, we will clean the country’s politics and we will have fixed our economy the following day.”

(Edited by V. Graham)