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| Former President Moi hands over the leadership of Kanu to Uhuru Kenyatta in 2002. [PHOTO: FILE/STANDARD] |
By OSCAR OBONYO
KENYA: When President Uhuru and Deputy President William Ruto assumed office last April, it was naturally expected they would consult their political mentor, former President Daniel Moi.
Perhaps they have done one better, because there is “a lot of Moi” already in the Jubilee administration.
In just less than three months, President Uhuru and Moi have held three private but publicised meetings, at the latter’s Kabarnet Gardens in Nairobi, Kabarak home in Nakuru County and a couple of days ago at State House in Nairobi.
They have probably had more non-publicised encounters, including consulting over the telephone.
After a lull of more than a decade, following his exit from power in 2002, the Uhuru-Ruto leadership has thrust Moi back into public limelight.
He is actually now more visible than his successor, Mwai Kibaki, who has gone quiet since handing over office to Uhuru.
Rich experience
According to Amukowa Anangwe, a former Cabinet minister in the Moi Government, Uhuru needs Moi, owing to the fact that he was at the helm of the country’s leadership for a quarter century and has the experience of dealing with Opposition.
“To be honest, Uhuru lacks the requisite experience to manage a belligerent Opposition as one spearheaded by the seasoned and battle-hardened former Prime Minister (Raila Odinga). At such times, Moi can be handy in getting him towards a certain direction,” says Anangwe, who teaches political science at University of Dodoma in Tanzania.
Moi is Kenyatta’s political godfather who fast-tracked the President’s career by nominating him to Parliament in 2001, appointing him to Cabinet before endorsing him for presidency the following year.
Sought audience
Those advancing Moi’s influence point to the recent teachers’ strike. A senior Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) official, who talked to The Standard On Sunday on condition of anonymity, claims they sought audience with “Mzee” (Moi) to plead their case with the President.
Curiously, only a day after Moi’s publicised meeting with Kenyatta at State House, Knut national officials had an audience with the President the following day at the same venue, where they ironed out the problem and called off the strike.
But the Special Advisor on Political Affairs in the President’s Office, Joshua Kuttuny, says there is nothing much to read from Moi’s encounters with President Kenyatta: “Moi is a former President and therefore one of our leaders we are celebrating. Do not forget that the President has previously held similar consultations with former PM and former Vice-President ( Kalonzo Musyoka)”.
Kuttuny discloses that his desk is soon drawing out plans to integrate the Opposition in Government to enhance national cohesion and unity.
Rift Valley politics
He further dismisses claims of political supremacy in Rift Valley saying the region is solidly behind the Deputy President.
Separately, Joseph Magutt, who teaches political Science at Kenyatta University, attributes Moi’s visibility to that fact that he is pretty much at home with the Jubilee Government under the leadership of two politicians that he mentored.
Nonetheless, Moi, the self-proclaimed professor of politics has doubtlessly a lot to offer to the Uhuru-Ruto pair, during this nascent stage of their leadership. And there could be no better opportune moment than now when the Jubilee Administration is heaving under a chain of challenges including industrial strikes by government employees, delayed salaries and rise in insecurity.
Having exited the political scene rather disgracefully in 2002, where he was even pelted with balls of mud by Kibaki supporters chanting “Yote yawezekana bila Moi (All is possible without Moi)” when he handed over power at Nairobi’s Uhuru Park, the former Head of State must be observing current developments with glee. After all, this is the very team he tried to get to power 11 years ago.
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