2012: Is the cat out of the bag?

By Francis Ngige and Boniface Gikandi

Mr John Michuki, the straight-talking Environment minister, appeared to lift the lid on Central Kenya elite’s game plan for the Kibaki succession.

And the blue-eyed boy and would-be political kingpin is none other than Uhuru Kenyatta, the son of Kenya’s founding President Mzee Jomo Kenyatta.

Michuki’s revelation on Sunday at his Kangema Constituency backyard belied the power struggles playing out in the background, as President Kibaki prepares for his 2012 retirement. The minister made

a pointed statement that anyone eyeing support from the vote-rich province must recognise Uhuru — whom he said would automatically step into Kibaki’s shoes as the region’s senior most leader.

Leaders from region, which has produced two of Kenya’s three presidents, has of late been in the news with controversial claims that international investigators were now targeting the Kikuyu community over the 2007 post-election violence. And on Sunday, Uhuru — who has been named adversely in a report on the poll chaos by none other than the government’s own human rights watchdog — said he was not concerned by the ICC process. His past court attempt to have his name expunged from the report did not succeed. And to illustrate the tempo of political activity in Central Kenya, another minister — Njeru Githae —warned colleagues in President Kibaki’s PNU party to forget the next Government if they do not rejuvenate the party and pick one presidential candidate.

In a rare admission, the minister said that PNU was in disarray and a mess that would consign it to the opposition if urgent measures were not taken.

The Nairobi Metropolitan minister said the greatest undoing in PNU was that there were many parties in its strongholds that were pulling in different directions, and laid the blame squarely on the coalition’s leadership. Speaking at St Agnes Girls Boarding Primary School in his Ndia Constituency, Githae minced no words, saying PNU had lost its standing as a party existed only by name. Back in Kangema, Michuki — citing leaders who have in the recent past made forays into Central Kenya — Michuki said: "(Prime Minister) Raila Odinga and (Vice-President) Kalonzo Musyoka should pass through Uhuru, who is a recognised leader for Kikuyu community, in their bid to lobby for the community’s backing." Michuki said the community risked being "orphaned" unless it stood united under one regional political leader.

"The Kikuyu community should speak in one voice and have its political leader like other communities, if they wish to be in the next government," said the minister.

But Michuki’s declaration elicited sharp reactions from other Central Kenya leaders who said the minister should not impose leaders on the people.

　

But also dictatorial

Gichugu MP Martha Karua, who has declared interest in the presidency, dismissed Michuki’s suggestions and termed them as "not only undemocratic but also dictatorial" "Gone are the days when individuals or a clique of politicians used to impose leaders on Kenyans," she told journalists at Kianyanga market. She said the public must be left to decide their leaders without coercion. The assertion that Uhuru was the Kikuyu point-man was dictatorial, she said.

"Even those calling for coalitions and alliances should know that Narc-Kenya will go it alone in 2012," she added. Dismissing the endorsement as inconsequential, Karua said it was unfortunate that an elderly politician like Michuki had the "audacity to make such undemocratic statement". Other leaders who opposed Michuki’s statements were Ol-Kalou MP Erastus Mureithi and his Mwea counterpart Peter Gitau.

Said Mureithi: "Since there are a number of people who have ambitions from the region, it would be unfair to handpick one of them at the expense of the others. What will happen to the rest?"

He said infighting among the top local leaders would be the region’s undoing come the next elections.

Gitau described Michuki’s sentiments as personal "and should be treated as such".

"He (Michuki) should know that the days of handpicking leaders are long gone. People should be left at will to elect their leaders."

But Kigumo MP Jamleck Kamau and Kieni’s Nemesyus Warugongo supported Michuki’s views. Kamau said Michuki’s views should not be taken lightly going by his vast experience in politics.

Has seen a lot

"Being a respected Kikuyu elder, Michuki’s sentiments should be respected as he has seen what most of us have not seen. His might be personal but I think he has a point," said Kamau.

Warugongo said Uhuru’s position as the region’s spokesman was decided at a retreat in Limuru mid-this year. "Michuki has not said something new since we know Uhuru is our leader and we are bound by the Limuru declaration," Warugongo said. Uhuru ran for the presidency in 2002 against Kibaki and came second but accepted defeat.

In the 2007 elections, he supported Kibaki against Raila and Kalonzo. Besides Karua, Uhuru faces a challenge from Gatanga MP Peter Kenneth, who also enjoys support from a cross-section of residents and legislators in Central Province.

Already, other parties are busy recruiting members in light of PNU’s waning popularity.

Among them is Karua’s Narc-Kenya and the Grand National Union (GNU).

The GNU, whose Secretary-General is former Mathira MP Nderitu Gachagua, is set to be launched in the larger Nyeri County on Saturday. Assistant Minister Mwangi Kiunjuri is the party leader.

Yesterday, Gachagua said after completing the grassroots mobilisation and recruitment, the party was now ready to be launched in all the counties.