David Murathe\u2019s constant bare-knuckled attacks on Deputy President William Ruto mirror an outspoken group of politicians in successive governments perceived to be messengers of uncomfortable truths their masters would rather not say publicly.<\/p>\n
Every administration since Independence has had their own political sound boards, whose access to their political masters gives their words – though always expressed as personal views – an air of authority. Their brazen messaging that would be unpalatable for the kingpin to openly voice is often viewed as testing waters, gauging public mood or preparing the ground to unravel the scheme at the opportune time.<\/p>\n
Presently such politicians include Murathe (pictured), who declared he resigned as Jubilee vice chair to lead a campaign to block Ruto from succeeding President Uhuru Kenyatta. Others are Cotu Secretary General Francis Atwoli, Senate Majority leader Kipchumba Murkomen, Senate Minority Leader James Orengo, National Assembly Minority Whip Junet Mohammed and MPs Oscar Sudi (Kapseret), William Kamket (Tiaty), Kimani Ngunjiri (Bahati), Gladys Wanga (Homa Bay Woman Rep) and Moses Kuria (Gatundu South).<\/p>\n
At the heart of the current rise of \u2018voices of uncomfortable truth\u2019 is the handshake between Uhuru and Opposition leader Raila Odinga, and the storm around the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) that could change the country\u2019s governance structure.\u00a0Since the start of Uhuru\u2019s second term, Murathe, who last week claimed that the president \u2018will not hand over power to a thief\u2019, leaving it to the imagination of the crowd on who he was referring to, has emerged a rabble rouser.The former Gatanga MP had previously claimed that Uhuru will remain in power beyond 2022, igniting a debate that has refused to die down.<\/p>\n
Some of the president\u2019s critics have alleged a plan for him to hang on as prime minister in a new dispensation. In 2018, Murathe kicked up another storm when he said Ruto should prepare to exit in 2022.He said Ruto was not eligible to run for president in 2022, and even vowed to go to court to stop him. He insisted that Ruto\u2019s mandate was tied with that of Uhuru.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe had a mandate with the president for 10 years and now he wants another 10 as a president. It\u2019s not tenable.\u201d\u201cI now find that it is no longer tenable to stay on as the party vice chairman, given that I will have to sit in the same National Executive Council with a man I am taking to court to block from running for president,\u201d he said before he resigned from the party post last year.<\/p>\n
Similar sentiments were echoed by Atwoli, who prides himself as\u00a0 \u2018a prophet whose words come true.\u2019\u00a0\u201cI want you to write this down; 2022 we will go to the election to elect the president and people will vote in high numbers because we will have changed the Constitution. You will elect a president, his deputy, prime minister and others \u2026 but I want to tell you one thing, the name of one William Samoei Ruto will not be on the ballot,\u201d Atwoli said in April last year.<\/p>\n
Jubilee Party Secretary General Raphael Tuju has also been vocal in his defence of Uhuru.<\/p>\n
Around the time Murathe was raising the ante in the Uhuru succession wars early last year, Orengo, a key Raila ally hinted that the handshake would culminate in a Raila-Uhuru alliance in 2022.\u201cODM is going for political power, and when we are holding these meetings our eyes are set on 2022. The contestation for power is going to come from a formation with ODM in it and formation of Jubilee where Uhuru Kenyatta is playing a role,\u201d Orengo said in March last year.<\/p>\n
At the time, the declaration generated heat prompting a rebuttal from ODM Chairman John Mbadi, but talk of such an alliance has gained currency in recent days.A wing of Jubilee allied to Uhuru joined Raila in campaigns for the Kibra parliamentary seat rooting for the ODM candidate Imran Okoth, who eventually won the seat against Jubilee\u2019s McDonald Mariga who was backed by the Ruto camp.<\/p>\n
In the DP\u2019s corner are Sudi and Murkomen, who never let an opportunity to kick up a storm pass. Talk of dynasties and claims of political betrayal have dominated their statements since the Uhuru-Raila handshake.Also in this corner are Kuria and Ngunjiri who have ratcheted up the narrative of \u2018underdevelopment\u2019 in Jubilee strongholds.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet\u2019s avoid hypocrisy in our politics. When we love one another, let it be sincere, not that you have a knife which you want to use to injure your friend at the back,\u201d said Murkomen in Makueni on January 21.In August last year, Sudi said: \u201cBBI is a product of the dynasties. I want to tell you that the dynasties\u00a0will remain just that, whether you like it or not. The poor and the hustlers are more than the dynasties.<\/p>\n
So\u00a0stop lying to yourselves that you did not choose where you came from, you\u2019re dynasties of this country and you must go home!\u201dKanu\u2019s vocal critics of the DP like Kamket, who last year told Ruto to resign if he was not satisfied with Uhuru\u2019s leadership, also keep their rivals on their toes.\u201cIf you are dissatisfied with the leadership of President Uhuru Kenyatta, I dare you to resign\u2026Stop blaming civil servants. Stop blaming the CS, PS and the Inspector General,\u201d said the Kanu MP, a close ally of party leader Gideon Moi.<\/p>\n
Before their fallout, former Machakos Senator Johnstone Muthama was instrumental in giving clues into the political direction that Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka would take. Recently, Muthama upset Kalonzo when he (Muthama) declared he would lead negotiations between the Wiper leader and Ruto for an alliance in the lead-up to 2022.Former Subukia\u00a0MP Koigi wa Wamwere said: \u201cI believe that most of the time, these people are sent by their masters.<\/p>\n
They do not speak on their own behalf. In the current scenario, there is a lot of talk on political succession, so such\u00a0people are sent to test the political waters.\u201dPolitical analyst Herman Manyora argued that politicians have a way of testing waters.\u201cLooking at some of the things that Murathe is saying, it is very difficult to imagine that he would not be speaking on behalf of Uhuru,\u201d claims Prof Manyora.Peter Kagwanja said such people are a common feature in politics.\u201cSuch people are a salient feature of populist regimes.<\/p>\n
However, they are becoming more popular in\u00a0the democratic era, mainly due to the need to deal with political opponents. What they say is not necessarily what they are told to say, but they are the best conduits of information that is unpalatable. They have nothing to lose, but they have everything to gain,\u201d said Prof Kagwanja.<\/p>\n
Former Gem MP Jakoyo Midiwo, who was once a close ally of Raila before he fell out with ODM, argued that the rise in such voices is a result of \u2018people responding to current political realities.\u2019\u201cAll those who are speaking are responding to the current political realities. I don\u2019t think someone like Murathe speaks for Uhuru, but he is speaking to the Kikuyu nation. When you see people like Kuria talk, they are \u2018under siege\u2019 because things have moved so fast and they have to respond to the reality,\u201d said Midiwo.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
David Murathe\u2019s constant bare-knuckled attacks on Deputy President William Ruto mirror an outspoken group of politicians in successive governments perceived to be messengers of uncomfortable truths their masters would rather not say publicly. Every administration since Independence has had their own political sound boards, whose access to their political masters gives their words – though […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":3563,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,6,8],"tags":[1928,1835,493,362],"class_list":["post-3572","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-files","category-homepage-english","tag-cotu-secretary-general-francis-atwoli","tag-david-murathe","tag-dp-william-ruto","tag-president-uhuru-kenyatta"],"yoast_head":"\n