Written by
Faridah N Kulumba
Africa-Press – Kenya. The Orange for Democratic Movement (ODM) opposition leader Raila Odinga has commenced on his forays into President Uhuru Kenyatta’s backyard with a number of high profile Central Kenya politicians promising to back his candidature during 2022 general elections.
Governor James Nyoro declared that they have been consolidating the region for the former Prime Minister. “We had a meeting in Meru on Saturday. We agreed that all our votes will be put in one basket. We will not divide them. But some people started attacking us. Today we are saying all those votes, former Prime Minister, will come to you,” Nyoro said.
Some high profile politicians including Governor Nyoro and Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya had a high level meeting where they agreed to unite the Mt Kenya voting block, Star reported.
Mt Kenya top guns
Among the top Mt Kenya guns who want to see Odinga in the top office come 2022, include Laikipia Governor Nderitu Mureithi, former President Mwai Kibaki’s nephew who thinks that supporting Odinga in the upcoming elections they will be paying for a debt Mt Kenya owes Odinga.
Other politicians are, former presidential candidate Peter Kieni, Member of parliament Kanini Kega and nominated MP Maina Kamanda.
People like Kenyan business man Kenneth Amolo did not have kind words towards the Mt Kenya leaders while in an interview with Africa-Press said:
“The majority of Mt Kenya politicians are facing the end of their political careers and their best bet is that Raila gets elected and appoints them into some office. They have already burned bridges to the other side where the people are, and there is no turning back,” Amolo said.
Who is Odinga?
Raila Amolo Odinga, 76 year old, is a long serving politician who served as the Prime Minister of Kenya from 2008 to 2013, and before that he had served in different ministries since 2001. He is assumed as the Leader of Opposition since 2013 as the new Constitution of Kenya does not prescribe for such a position.
He has contested for the presidential post since 2018 when he ran against the then incumbent Mwai Kibaki, 5 years later he placed second against Uhuru Kenyatta, and he made another attempt in 2017 again against Kenyatta and the electoral commission declared Kenyatta as the winner.
Odinga declined the outcome and decided to settle the matters in court. The Supreme Court annulled the outcome and ordered for a fresh election which was won by Kenyatta again.
On 9 March 2018 Mr Odinga and President Kenyatta made a joint televised appearance in which they agreed to put aside political differences to allow Kenya to move.
The new dawn
While addressing the Mt Kenya politicians, Odinga declared the birth of a new dawn that will unite Kenyans and that it will be spearheaded by President Kenyatta and himself and that this will see the handshake team crisscross the country.
Surprisingly Odinga has not declared he will run for the presidency next year, but it is widely believed Mt Kenya tycoons who have bankrolled successive presidential elections are in agreement with Kenyatta’s strategists that Odinga is the region’s best bet.
Although President Kenyatta has not yet come out openly to endorse ODM Chief Odinga, there are signals that he has agreed to back Odinga to battle with his deputy William Ruto for the country’s top job.
