Some of the election losers: (L to R) Raila Odinga, Kalonzo Musyoka and Musalia Mudavadi. NATION MEDIA GROUP
By BILLY MUIRURI bmuiruri@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted Saturday, May 18 2013 at 23:30
Posted Saturday, May 18 2013 at 23:30
IN SUMMARY
- Candidates who vied for the presidency and lost suddenly find themselves with time on their hands to engage in other activities
Only one of the candidates in the last presidential election could be said to be angling for a top position in the yet-to-be completed government of President Uhuru Kenyatta government.
Although none has publicly said they are quitting active politics, most have retreated to their private businesses and lives. From tight schedules and criss-crossing the country in search of votes, these losers suddenly found themselves with time on their hands and no media to hound them for soundbites.
Some of those the Sunday Nation spoke to said they were spending more time with their families than they had in months, running their businesses and reflecting on where things went wrong.
So, how have they been spending their time?
Raila Odinga:
Apart from occasionally commenting on national issues, the former Prime Minister normally hosts small delegations and friends at his Karen home.
Although the public has been kept guessing whether he will be given a special envoy position and if he would accept it, Mr Odinga’s time is spent penning his memoirs. An aide said Raila was also considering taking a cue from world leaders like Bill Clinton, Kofi Annan and Al Gore and starting a foundation.
“He has not lost sight of strengthening his party and is consulted on a regular basis by Cord MPs on matters happening in Parliament,” the aide said.
Kalonzo Musyoka:
Former Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka now spends most of his time at the Kalonzo Musyoka Foundation offices in Lavington. Although he did not vie for the presidency, the Cord running mate states that he is not interested in going back to Parliament. Instead, the former Mwingi North MP concerns himself with the needs of children under the care of his foundation.
One of his aides said he has chosen a quiet life to ponder his next course of action. “Sometimes taking time off gives the best opportunity for an individual to revitalise and get even better ideas,” said the aide.
When he is not doing charity work at the foundation, Mr Musyoka occasionally retires to his Yatta farm to supervise work there.
Musalia Mudavadi:
Musalia is regarded in the corridors of power as standing the “most realistic chance” of having a piece of the cake.
Although a post-election deal between his party and Jubilee is yet to be made public, it is expected to hold the secret of his place in the unfinished structure of Mr Kenyatta’s government.
A big name in real estate, insurance and banking, Mr Mudavadi is spending a lot of time at his Riverside Drive private offices where he also lives.
“He is now keener on setting up new businesses and has taken up supervisory roles in a number of them,” said one of his aides.
A chunk of his time, the Sunday Nation learnt, is spent in Karen where a company he owns, Tysons Group, is involved in a multi-million-shilling real estate project on Miotoni Road.
Martha Karua:
She is the most active in party politics and regularly spends time at her Narc Kenya party office.
She says she wants to build a party that can survive “without her”.
From the office, she often heads to the Vet Club in Lower Kabete, or Muthaiga or Limuru golf clubs for a round of golf. Having been “quite excited” at becoming a grandmother, Karua is a regular minder of her grandchild, Riya.
Although the traffic on her Twitter account has slowed, she regularly interacts with her supporters. “If you want to know what she is up to, you will easily get it on Twitter,” said her aide.
Ms Karua does not plan to go back to her law firm; the aide says she is “too senior” to run around the corridors of justice with her juniors. “She is planning to play the legal game from a consultancy level after her rest.”
Peter Kenneth:
Quite private in nature and principle, the former assistant minister has retreated to his Upper Hill office from where he runs his insurance and real estate businesses. His interests also extend to farming and manufacturing.
An aide said Mr Kenneth has been interacting more with his diaspora contacts. “In fact, he flew out of the country on Thursday on several business missions and he will be there for ‘quite a while,’” the aide said.
Mohammed Abduba Dida:
At his Parklands flat, the candidate who became an overnight hit with Kenyans is spending more time with his two wives who live in the same compound. The third lives in Ngumo estate.
Known as mwalimu, he keeps busy teaching street children at Parkland’s First Avenue, where the Sunday Nation caught up with him.
“I am teaching them to be human and to live like human beings who look at the future positively,” he said.
He also spends time in Makueni County where he has taken up activities of his Mwalimu Dida Foundation. He plans to start a tailoring shop in Kiu market where local women will make shirts and trousers for donation to prisoners. A number of his former students and old boys at Lenana School are part of this project.
Although he has warmed to the Kenyatta government, Mr Dida says he would not take just any job. “If invited, I will consider the offer.”
Prof James ole Kiyiapi:
Speaking from his Eldoret home, Prof Kiyiapi said he is busy working on his autobiography and spends his weekdays at his Kabarnet Road private offices. He said he was personally putting the final touches on the remaining chapters centering on his political debut.
Although he is “broke and jobless”, he said he had invested in some property and “a number of cows” which were keeping him going. “I am enjoying the peace. No more people coming home early in the morning.”
The don said he felt he still had something to offer Kenyans and would not mind a job in President Kenyatta’s government, although nothing had been discussed.
“I was the first to congratulate Uhuru, and I have a very cordial relationship with the Jubilee government,” he said. For now, he said he is concentrating on his personal work and had found more time to spend with his family.
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