It’s December 13th 8.am in the morning and the ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi is seen checking into the state house, with the president, they have a chit and chat kind of conversions and moments later they are borne.
They were flying to Garissa in military chopper. President Uhuru Kenyatta who is the commander in chief of the defence forces was going to unveil Kenya’s newest Army Barracks. That is base of the 6th brigade and the president was with Musalia Mudavadi.
You can’t breathe C in C’s breadth like that; he must be grooming you. Kenyan politics has a culture of debts and ‘conmanship’. Cons are gentleman and gentlemen are cons, so some bridges are used and burnt and some can be can be ‘kept’ for future use.
There is no way Musalia Mudavadi is going to miss in the ballot in 2022. He was Uhuru’s running mate in 2002; they lost to President Kibaki (rtrd) and three years later, together with the ‘Rainbow Renegade’ Raila Odinga, the beat Kibaki in a referendum.
They were together in the ‘conception of ODM’ till Uhuru switched moves and vamoosed to back Kibaki in 2007 to inherit Mt.Kenya backyard. He is the first opposition leader to back the regime he should oppose but so what, it worked for him.
But upto that point his foundation as national politician was already solidified when he teamed with Mudavadi. Their history goes along way, together with the Deputy President William Ruto, they are sons of the same ‘political father’, Retired President Daniel Moi.
Mudavadi backed Uhuru in 2002 so Uhuru might just back him in 2022. He was ready to do it 2013 when ICC case was a dark cloud over Uhuru’s candidacy. While addressing at the Grand Regency Hotel, the president indicated that he would ‘sacrifice’ his candidacy if the ICC cases would mess his image and that of the republic.
But you are innocent until proven otherwise, their strategist change that thought days later. Mudavadi felt played and went into the elections as a project. He was a spoiler kind of candidate but still to the advantage of Uhuru Kenyatta.
Elections came, Uhuru won and he is now serving his fiinal term. There will be pressure on him to name his preferred successor. President Moi surprised people with Uhuru Kenyatta from ‘home’ to becoming number two in his first shot at presidency. That was amazing.
President Kibaki never named his preferred successor publicly but he was for Musalia Mudavadi, you know they both studied economics and finance and they are sober. But Kibaki again in ‘silence’ he bowed to the pressure, narrative around ICC cases and the ‘tyranny of numbers’ myth that kept Uhuru and Ruto’s campaigns fiery.
Uhuru’s ‘political body language’ with his deputy William Ruto is bad; their relationship is at its all time low. Only Kieleweke and BBI sympathizers seem to getting state jobs while the Tanga Tanga has to do with Sugoi bash and Naivasha seminars.
They were humiliated at the launch of BBI report. Mudavadi was among the key speakers at that event and he spoke like a statesman, former Vp Kalonzo Musyoka spoke like a statesman too. But Uhuru’s relationship with his deputy seems strained; he can’t groom him or care to back him in 2022. Things change and that’s how the story goes, reason, ‘I just don’t like for the shape of your head’. End of story.
Retired President Moi can also advise the president to do so; Mudavadi was one of the favourite ‘political sons’. He was his vice for two months, he was his ‘trusted son’, and he was his finance minister. Uhuru headed finance, Kibaki headed finance too, and history repeats itself.
I know Uhuru wants to present a moulded candidate or choice and Mudavadi is ‘mouldable’evena scheming Odinga would go for him. But look at him, he has left Governor Hassan joho confused over going national or doing theatrics in Mombasa and Carlifornia because he has not made up ghis mind if he will run in 2022 or not.
He is not shaping anyone to succeed him when all Moi’s protégés are becoming presidents and even his cool son Senator Gideon Moi is being mentioned among future presidents. Odinga should be shaping someone, Joho, Hon. Otiende Amollo or someone but he sees his protégés as threats.
That’s why doesn’t mind running against Ruto or Babu Owinos, the constitution doesn’t bar him but please, you are ‘squeezing’ Joho’s dream that you helped build. He can’t bark outside Mombasa and he should be among Odinga’s front soldiers giving Ruto a run for his money.
His make is crushing his dreams and fellow bright politicians in orange have reduced to drum beaters season in season out. And that is how they fall, average and confused. You can’t shine by making noise alone, you grow by achieving dreams and rising through ranks.
That is what Odinga is not doing, that is what Moi did and still supports and that is what President Kenyatta is doing through Mudavadi.
At least Uhuru who is grooming Mudavadi, Raila is a dream crusher
