Deputy Prime Minister & Minister of Trade Uhuru Kenyatta answers journalists' questions during a press conference during the fifth day of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) ministerial summit on trade liberalisation talks, at the WTO headquarters, in Geneva, Switzerland, Friday, July 25, 2008.
For this country Kenya, the dreaded month of August has historically meant a national disaster or major calamity of some sort. For many Nairobi residents, today’s miserable weather in which the city witnessed unusual persistent showers and low temperatures could not have come at a worse day which also happens to be the first day of the jinxed month of August.
Sadly, information reaching this blogger will not make it better for any of you Kumekuchans. Sources inform this blogger that major political realignments are already underway even as anxiety grips the political class. Not only are cabinet ministers and MPs avoiding unpredictable Wilson airport flights, they remain acutely aware of unforeseen career-ending events that are beyond their individual control within the political arena .
Information leaking out of the corridors of power have got observers asking themselves how deeply indebted is this country to the so called first families? This follows revelations that the Kibaki succession is now about to precipitate a major cabinet re-shuffle aimed at elevating Uhuru Kenyatta to Vice President and in the process put him in pole position to be named the country’s next President?
Another shocker is that both government intelligence and other independent pollsters are already rating the Justice minister and fast rising Martha Karua as the most popular presidential candidate in Central Province at a whopping 65%. This is a marginal reduction from the surveys done early this year where she was rated much higher. Do the math of the number of registered voters in GEMA zones and you will have answered yourself as to why Steadman last week cleverly limited the survey to Raila and Kibaki and then went ahead and called it “highest approval ratings in performance” as opposed to “highest popularity rankings” of the already known presidential candidates as they have done in the past? Even more interesting, Steadman are still insisting on ranking President Kibaki whom every Kenyan knows is serving his last term and is no longer relevant to the future of this country. This is just but one of the reasons that the Justice & Constitutional Affairs minister will be a victim of the forthcoming cabinet reshuffle. Another obvious reason is to move Karua as far away as possible from the explosive and highly incriminating commissions of inquiry reports that have been gathering dust in government shelves.
According to impeccable sources, the current president is being bogged down by ill-health and his advance age. The fact that he will automatically be ineligible to seek re-election having served the constitutional maximum two terms is a major factor is forcing him to throw in the towel and open public speculation of an impending snap election. Matters are not made any better considering the well being of the first lady has been subject of intense rumour mongering since the botched December 2007 elections! The immediate first family is said to be deeply concerned about the welfare of the duo and are probably behind the fast-tracking of succession arrangements.
Insider strategists opine that the only way to safely leapfrog the Annan resolutions without being accused of sabotage is to call a snap general election that shall usher in a newly mandated government without any extra baggage obliging them to honour any post 2007 election deals. More importantly, it will ensure continuity of the old order under the preferred current constitution.
Folks, it is not a question of IF, but WHEN Martha Karua is inducted into the powerful ODM pentagon. The expanded pentagon is expected to be representative of the face of Kenya. Uhuru’s camp assume that Raila Odinga and his ODM gang will have their fate sealed as soon as the NARA accord collapses. The president appears to have decided that he will leave it to Vice President (read- Project II) Uhuru Kenyatta to decide how to handle Raila and Karua whom are expected to accept their official opposition role since Kenya remains a multiparty democracy.
Kalonzo's fate in the post Kibaki alignments remains unclear but what is clear is that he has out-lived his political usefulness in the current set-up. Uhuru's appointment, unlike Musalia's in 2002, is being aimed at giving him an upperhand in the succession battlefront. It is being left to Uhuru to determine whom he will form an alliance with.
Kumekuchans you can take the information you read on this post/blog to the bank. In other words, you should expect to vote again much earlier than 2012.
