Raila joins fray a day after Uhuru shocker on 2022 succession talk

President Uhuru Kenyatta flanked by Opposition leader Raila Odinga during a memorial service of former Maendeleo ya Wanawake chairperson Jane Mumbi Kiano in Karen , Nairobi.Kiano died on October 25 at Nairobi Hospital. [Photo: David Njaaga,Standard]

A day after President Uhuru Kenyatta threw the presidential succession race wide open, NASA leader Raila Odinga turned out bullish, vouching for his credentials and trashing the “dynasty” narrative.

In a speech delivered in the presence of his “brother” President Kenyatta, Raila tore into the dynasty narrative that he says is being spun to block him and other credible leaders from leadership opportunities.

In his defence, he roped in Kenyatta who has agreed that he is retiring but promised a shocker on his choice of successor. He said he and Kenyatta, just like their fathers, earned their place at the top.

He took a swipe at the “Hustler” narrative associated with Deputy President William Ruto. Later, he, President Kenyatta and Ruto had lunch at the latter’s official residence in a day of high political drama.

In the emerging political discourse, Raila and Uhuru have been accused of thriving on the political legacies of their fathers: Jaramogi Oginga Odinga and Jomo Kenyatta respectively.

“Jomo Kenyatta was the son of a pauper. He struggled and was detained by colonialists for many years,” said Raila.

“You cannot say Odinga (Jaramogi) and Kenyatta (Jomo) are dynasties. They were both paupers and they struggled on their own.”

“You cannot say Uhuru and Raila are sons of dynasties and others are hustlers,” Raila further said as listeners at the late Jane Kiano memorial service cheered.

Uhuru’s father Jomo Kenyatta was Kenya’s first President while Raila’s father served as his Vice President.

Raila said the two families thrive on sheer hard work and determination and asked Kenyans to judge them as individuals. He praised Uhuru as having earned his place as President as an individual and not because he was the son of Kenya’s first Head of State.

“Raila is just Raila and Uhuru is Uhuru. Nobody has elected Uhuru because he is son of Kenyatta,” he said. Like their fathers, differences between Uhuru and Raila had been at the top, but the two unexpectedly made a U-turn and resolved their rivalry on March 9 during the handshake.

Their reconciliation, however, brought jitters among some Jubilee Party leaders who felt that the unity between the two leaders was likely to interfere with Ruto’s quest for presidency in 2022.

Uhuru shocker

During the memorial service, DP Ruto resisted the urge to comment, despite Raila throwing in “hustler” term that he proudly likes associating himself with during his political tours.

He held the microphone stand as if to adjust it and after paying glowing tribute to Kiano dodged: “I don’t want to say anything about other issues that have been raised.”

Yesterday’s events came in the wake of Thursday’s Uhuru shocker that he may back someone else other than his deputy in the 2022 contest.

His vow that his choice of a successor would shock many openly cast reasonable doubts that he would endorse the DP and at the same time opened a window of opportunity for Raila.

For long, the President had been coy on who will take over after him, but a botched ambush by some legislators aimed at forcing his hand led to a rare public pronouncement on a matter that has lurked in the shadows of his second term.

An attempt to present a united front and a list of demands to Uhuru by a group of MPs from Mt Kenya backfired in their faces after the President tore into them, falling short of calling them busybodies who have offered little in terms of development for their regions but instead spent time speculating on his departure. The dressing down was so thorough that the Mt Kenya legislators were gagged from speaking about succession matters as it emerges that there were suspicions within a section of Jubilee that the MP caucus had been sponsored by a wing pushing for a Ruto endorsement from the president.

“The meeting was supposed to discuss the region’s development goals and align them with the government’s plan,” a Mt Kenya legislator told Saturday Standard.

“But midway through, the agenda changed to succession politics and the positioning of Ruto in the 2022 race.”

Ruto’s allies however remain upbeat that the President will indeed endorse his deputy and that nothing, not even Uhuru’s deal with Raila, will come between the two once inseparable leaders.

“Within our party ranks, we are optimistic that our party leader will endorse his deputy to succeed him when he retires in 2022 and we are not worried of what is being played in the public gallery,” Senate Majority Leader Kipchumba Murkomen said.

He said as a matter of fact President Uhuru will have a say and play a major role in the Presidency of his deputy even as he retires.

“What we are now concerned is fulfilling the Jubilee development agenda and the unity of the country but not peddling falsehoods around,” said Murkomen, the Elgeyo Marakwet senator.

Kericho Senator Aron Cheruiyot said those thinking that President Kenyatta will shortchange his deputy will be in shock. 

“There is a narrative which is being pushed by detractors of the DP that Uhuru will not endorse him and they should be ready to receive the shock of their lives when President Kenyatta declares Ruto Tosha,” said Mr Cheruiyot.

He said President Kenyatta will stand by his word and endorse the DP to succeed him since he wants to build on his legacy. 

Public backing

“By declaring Ruto as his successor, President Kenyatta’s legacy will be firmly anchored for posterity. We are optimistic that the best bet for entrenching Uhuru’s legacy is Ruto and we are firmly behind them,” he said.

Unlike in previous forays into the region, Uhuru was not accompanied by Ruto, whom he had earlier in the morning shared a platform with at State House, Nairobi, when he hosted a stakeholders’ forum on the ease of doing business in the country.

Ruto has been tireless in the pursuit of allies within the President’s backyard where he currently enjoys the public backing of a number of legislators