Once upon an era the cock crowed. The alarm was heard across the width and breadth of the national homestead. But the reach of the cock has since shrunk to a whimper.
There is a history to the changing fortunes of the former ruling party—the party of Independence. The party that enjoyed 40 years of monopoly of state power under Presidents Jomo Kenyatta Daniel arap Moi. That was the Kanu that was.
Kanu diehards had hoped the cock would once again crow when the bird, with a rich history, got a younger custodian. This hope is not exhausted because the new owner has the pedigree, money, a party with a history and media outlets. These are essential for attracting people, like moths take to light.
These are lethal arsenals other presidential aspirants and party owners can only wish for. But wishes aren’t horses—there won’t be any free ride to the throne. Not even for Kanu’s new owner.
To be fair to the third generation Kanu leadership, it may be too early in the history of inheritance to write off the cock under the custody of the scion.
An official of the party of history is optimistic there was always a strategy to the delayed reboot of the cock under party chairman Senator Gideon Moi: They wanted the immediate competition for the control of the Kalenjin fiefdom to dance himself lame before the main show.
They believe Deputy President William Ruto, the United Democratic Alliance presidential aspirant, has exhausted his tricks. The tricks included allowing the DP to grab the endorsement of Talai elders, long before the younger Moi went for his slice.
The senator has since claimed his share of the blessings of the distinguished council of Kalenjin elders. The elders have unleashed two bulls into the ring – one is a scion, the other is an ambitious son of a peasant.
The son of a Sugoi peasant has, through sheer ambition, gravitas and grit, bolted out of the conventional social strata. The son of a nobody has become someone within a generation – a hubrisan to boot. Alleluia!
The Moi scion has the original Nyayo Rungu, aka Fimbo ya Nyayo. The symbol of Nyayo power for a quarter century was willed to the scion and ceremonially passed on during the burial of his father last year.
The king died – long live the king.
A Kanu MP last week promised an announcement that would shake the country. There is no tremor yet a week later. Another party official volunteered details in a social media post, last Thursday:
“Gideon Moi’s campaign began in earnest today. Between today and Sunday, he is meeting local leaders. He will be officially endorsed by the party end of this month.”
“By end of October Rift Valley will be 50:50 – 50 for William and 50 for Gideon. By November Kanu’s dormant base shall have been revived nationally. By February the cockerel will be crowing to the finish line. OKA is dead.”
“At the end only the cockerel shall have survived for 62 years. Before the end of this month, the country shall be awakened by the cock’s crow.”
The Kanu insider declares, ‘OKA is dead?’
One Kenya Alliance is the budding coalition of Amani National Congress leader Musalia Mudavadi, Wiper Democratic Movement chief Kalonzo Musyoka and Ford Kenya’s Moses Wetang’ula (Bungoma senator). The four were expected to find a negotiated accommodation in OKA, in readiness for the general election due next year. But Mudavadi and Kalonzo aren’t ready to deputise anyone – not even themselves.
Presidential ambition is deluding. Some of its victims have no ‘reverse gear’, even though makers of automobiles know the value of reverse gear.
Mudavadi is targeting a running mate from Central Kenya. But where does this leave other OKA principals - Weta, Kalonzo, and Gideon? Aren’t they equal to the occasion? They are killing the ‘alternative force’ before it’s born.
