OMWENGA: Is Western Kenya the new mountain?

I have previously written about how shocked I was that vice-chairman of Jubilee—or some part thereof David Murathe was among a delegation of Kikuyu Council of Elders who went to Bondo to endorse ODM leader Raila Odinga for his 2022 presidential bid.

This happened on the heel of the handshake that was still having ripples effect across the country as no one, but its principals and architects, saw it coming. My surprise was informed by something Murathe told me about Raila when he and I met and had dinner at the Serena two days before the 2013 elections.  

What Murathe told me about Raila is part comical but part so seriously full of conviction about what he thought about the man who was keeping TNA sleepless. I never thought a moment would come Murathe would say anything nice about Raila, let alone endorse him for the presidency as he did.

So shocking was the move that I asked Raila directly if he believed in what Murathe was saying and doing and doyen of opposition laughed it off confidently, saying he did.

I know there is a school of thought out there holding in the belief Raila was set up or let down by his brother from the mountain and his team, but that is neither here nor there.

Now President William Samoei Ruto outsmarted and outmanoeuvred everyone to be sworn as our fifth president it is an exercise in futility to try and argue otherwise.

Murathe and other like-minded from the mountain endorsing Raila for 2022 is example number one  why in politics there are no permanent enemies, just permanent interests.

Example number two is the trade unionist from Mulembe nation, Francis Atwoli.

One could not help but laugh and shake head in disbelief when Ruto welcomed Atwoli at State House and were photographed cracking jokes and laughing as if the Cotu secretary general never guaranteed Kenyans Ruto would never see the inside of State House as President.

Atwoli has spun 180 degrees from being one of Raila’s unshakable political pillars in western Kenya ahead of the 2022 elections, to saying that the Azimio leader and others demonstrating are doing so because they have no jobs.

To add salt to injury from Raila and camp’s perspective, Atwoli has joined the chorus from western Kenya singing, yes, it’s kumi kumi with this time the second kumi going to Western in 2032. In other words, Mulembe nation will once again back Ruto in 2032 with the promise Ruto will hand over the presidency to a man from their soil.

Everyone expects that man to be Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi. That may as well be the case, but it may as well not be the case.

The recent goings-on with State House operatives busy on the chessboard keeping everyone guessing and not getting it right and thinking they have it right but only to be proven wrong is surely something to behold.

Note who hasn’t featured in this piece thus far? Yes, Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua. Where is Gachagua in all these heavy focusing on western Kenya as though Mt Kenya is no longer relevant?

From my crystal ball, there is no success formula in Kenyan politics that would relegate Mt Kenya to what it has been, even in its current obviously disunited and disjointed as we have never seen before.

Here’s a small suggestion I learned from seasoned American politics long term insider and adviser. When it comes to politics, pay little to no attention to what any clever politician says, rather, pay attention to what they do.

Doing the latter will give you all the insights you need to know and figure their next move in this political chess game we can’t help but enjoy watching from the sidelines.