The Day Uhuru Offered Nusu Mkate Government

 I know I often talk about my love for history, but bear with me because something significant has just happened, and I’m sure many of you have already noticed it. Let me start at the beginning. I’ve always said that the 2017 elections were eerily similar to the 2007 elections. A quick recap: while there was violence, this time it was different. Unlike in 2007, the violence wasn’t between rival tribes but rather came from the security forces. Thankfully, the tribal conflict we feared didn’t happen, and Kenyans deserve credit for resisting those provocations.

After those elections, we saw something unprecedented—a government of national unity. A coalition government was formed, bringing together both the opposition and the ruling party. Now, let’s fast forward to the present situation. In his closing remarks at the Supreme Court, President Kenyatta’s lawyer, Fred Ngatia, made a surprising revelation. He stated that the president, instead of pursuing a confrontation with the petitioners, had promised to form an inclusive government, effectively offering a coalition with the opposition. This was striking because during the campaigns, the opposition kept insisting that they would not join the government, yet now the ruling party seems open to it. This shift suggests that a lot has changed in the political landscape.

Now, how did we get here? How did we move from a position where the ruling party refused any idea of a coalition to one where they are now proposing it? Well, towards the end of last year, the president’s advisors underwent a significant change, and with that, the influence of Deputy President William Ruto also waned. Unfortunately, the new advisors brought with them outdated, 70s-80s-style thinking, which has had a negative impact on the president’s legacy. I believe supporters of the ruling party, particularly those of Jubilee, need to stand up and voice their concerns. If you truly support the president, you should be willing to speak up when things are going wrong, instead of blindly following the party line. It’s time for genuine support that holds the government accountable.

The president came into office with a clean slate but has faced a difficult legacy due to missteps and issues within his government. His first three years were marked by significant challenges, including corruption and the stifling of dissent. Despite this, his image has dramatically shifted, especially in recent weeks, and not for the better. With people being arrested for their opinions and a crackdown on free speech, the country is slowly slipping into a police state. And for what? You can’t go against the will of the people in politics, no matter how much control you think you have. Eventually, you need support to maintain power, and when that support wanes, you end up with a dead plan.

The old advisors came up with a strategy that was doomed to fail from the start. The evidence of this is in Fred Ngatia’s statement at the Supreme Court, where he spoke about forming an inclusive government. This was a clear sign that the original plan, which may have been impossible to execute, is now being reevaluated. Whether the Supreme Court ruling will change things remains to be seen, but it’s clear that the political landscape is shifting, and the president is adjusting his approach. The key question now is how these changes will play out and what impact they will have on the country moving forward.