What Was Moi Meeting Kibaki About?

Retired president Moi held a closed-door meeting with President Kibaki recently – once again. Kenyans have learnt t be extremely wary of these meetings. The last time the pair met, some earth-shaking political events quickly followed that swiftly left Messrs Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto without a political party. Mercifully the courts recently halted that daylight coup of Kanu, but the matter is yet to be resolved conclusively.

So what were the two discussing?

It is highly likely that the Somalia crisis featured very high on the agenda. It may even have been the only issue discussed. Keen observers will have already noted that the recent bold and decisive steps taken by President Kibaki is not really the Kibaki we have come to know and suffer. His style is to take much longer to make decisions, even where there is a crisis and when the decision is finally made, he favors piece-meal actions. That is why many are seeing another hand in the bold, rapid-response decisions we have seen over the Somalia crisis. Apart from the obvious influence of America, the real decision-maker over Kenyan foreign policy currently, especially in the Somali crisis could well be retired President Moi.

Nothing wrong with that. Indeed it is good for the president to get expert advice on issues and the handling of the Somalia crisis so far, in my view has been excellent, decisive and the right thing for the country, given the prevailing circumstances. However when the advisor is Moi and when most Kenyans understand that the motives, of the two, especially concerning the long-term political future of the country, is based purely on self-preservation, then you can't really blame people for being anxious.