Kibaki’s bizarre approach to his succession is intriguing

By Mwenda Njoka

I find it extremely intriguing that President Kibaki does not appear to give a hoot about who succeeds him at State House but all of a sudden, and strangely, he gets all mixed up in the rather mucky succession politics in his home constituency of Othaya.

After resisting in-house (or is it resident) pressure to name a successor for a constituency he has represented in Parliament for 39 years (since 1974), early this week Kibaki succumbed and gave something of a pointer as who he prefers as his successor in Othaya when he retires.

Now, perhaps there wouldn’t be much of a hullabaloo over the issue of who succeeds or does not succeed Kibaki as Othaya MP were it not for the underlying and unstated issues.

As any astute student of Kenyan politics will testify, there is definitely much more than meets the eye in the recent happenings in Othaya. Whereas it may appear on the surface as a mere issue of who gets to represent the good people of Othaya in the 11th Parliament, the interests of the humble denizens of the lush green, hilly and agriculturally productive constituency are from being the main consideration in the feud that went over-drive on, of all days, Valentine Day.

But wait a minute. Did I hear someone whisper something like “son amour secret” or was it “Il suo segreto amore”? Whichever it is – whether French or Italian – it all boils to one thing, and it is something closely related to happenings of Valentines Day. I trust you get the drift.

It was comical, almost like nature playing a backhanded last minute compliment to Mwai Kibaki over the matter of his once-upon-a-time “Il suo segreto amore” or son amour secret if you like.

What played out in Othaya in the full glare of television cameras where Mary Wambui – complete in her Valentine’s Day dress – was stopped at gunpoint from entering a public venue where President Kibaki was addressing the locals was most embarrassing to the President and his family.

Despite constant denials and assertions that Mary Wambui has absolutely nothing to do with the President and she is just a humble but prominent business woman from Othaya, almost every Kenyan over the age of 18 knows to the contrary. If you don’t know otherwise, then you don’t live in Kenya.

Now, presidential candidate Mohamed Abdouba Dida has come out in the open to declare he has three families, South Africa’s Jacob Zuma does not shy from declaring his love-affiliations, never mind his amorous ways often tend to border on the absurd.

But the point is, at least these leaders have had the courage, tenacity and confidence to make their bed, lie on and admit publicly they did so, if we can put it that way.

So, back to the ‘little’ matter of succession politics. If indeed there has never been any relationship between the President and ‘prominent businesswoman’, then how does one explain the inordinate interest the Kibaki Family has in trying to influence the elections in Othaya?

Neither the virtuous people of Othaya nor the country deserves such tawdry display of filial differences in public. Kibaki has represented Othaya residents in Parliament for what amounts to a life-time and it is only just, reasonable and fair that Othaya voters be left alone to decide who they want to be their MP in a post-Kibaki era.

After all, if President Kibaki doesn’t seem to care who succeeds him in State House, where it matters most, on what basis then does he, or his family, are trying to influence the destiny of the people of Othaya? Family feuds should be fought and settled within the family.

The writer is Managing Editor of The Standard On Sunday