With his past forgiven, how Amos Kimunya bounced back

Even before he was picked as the new National Assembly Majority Leader, Kipipiri MP Amos Kimunya had previously managed to survive the rumble and tumble of national politics, from one high to another low. This had constantly kept him in the eye of a political storm.

But hate or love him, the former Cabinet minister is a man who speaks his mind no matter who he is addressing. On Monday, he was in his element when he rebuffed claims that Jubilee Party is a divided house.

“There are no rebels in the party. We do not have Jubilee “A” or “B”. I intend to cultivate one Jubilee driving one agenda. The MPs made the changes because they felt it was needed,” Mr Kimunya said.

Born in 1962, Mr Kimunya was first elected Kipipiri MP in 2002 on a Narc ticket and re-elected in 2007 via PNU.

UNTOUCHABLES

The man from Nyandarua County was once regarded as one of the “untouchables” in retired President Mwai Kibaki’s government, and enjoyed immense influence as one of the few ministers who had the President’s ear.

At a time when he was under siege in Parliament over alleged improprieties in the sale of what is now the Laico Grand Regency Hotel, and calls for his resignation became a rallying point for fellow MPs, he declared, “I would rather die than resign.”

At the centre of the stand-off was the controversial sale of the then Grand Regency Hotel to supposed Libyan government investment arm. The hotel had earlier been seized by the Central Bank as part of the proceeds of Goldenberg and associated scandals that in the Moi years nearly bankrupted Kenya after siphoning Sh5.8 billion of tax payers’ money.

The sale process that seemed single-sourced and at a price said to be below the market value attracted suspicion as did the involvement of Goldenberg scandal key suspect, Kamlesh Pattni, in identifying and negotiating with the buyers.

A parliamentary watchdog committee chaired by Boni Khalwale investigated the deal and recommended Mr Kimunya’s removal for abuse of office.

And although he had publicly stated that he would not resign, he quit as minister for Finance after public pressure piled on him. He was, however, cleared by an official inquiry in 2008 and in January 2009, he was re-appointed to Cabinet in the Ministry of Trade.

LOST IN POLLS

Mr Kimunya has been struggling to find his footing in the new power equation after Kibaki left power. And in 2013 general elections, he lost to his former aide Samwel Gichigi, marking an end to his 10-year stint as a parliamentarian.

And whether out of bitterness or a sense of entitlement, Mr Kimunya wrote his constituents a letter berating them for his loss and not appreciating his development record.

But Mr Kimunya made his political comeback in 2017, reclaiming his old seat as the MP of Kipipiri constituency on a Jubilee Party ticket.

Unlike his first tenure as an MP and minister in the government where he was constantly on the spotlight, his second stint in the National Assembly in the 12th Parliament has been a less turbulent one.

Mr Kimunya has been known to calmly give his submissions and not engage in many political side-shows.

His relaxed and mature demeanour must have worked magic in the heart of Jubilee Party leader, the Head of State, who has in the recent past been in an unforgiving mood to those he saw as an impediment to his legacy.

The casualties, unlike the new quiet Kimunya, preferred being vocal in castigating the President’s agenda and being collected and meticulously bidding to their master’s clarion calls of calmness and absolute loyalty to the course of the Big Four Agenda.

On June 2 in a Parliamentary Group Meeting at State House, Mr Kimunya was appointed to serve as the secretary of the Jubilee Coalition Joint Parliamentary Group.

His past forgiven, his future a given chance to chart out for himself a glorious path in the political world, Mr Kimunya surely became a man to watch.

Exactly 20 days later, another Jubilee Parliamentary Group meeting chaired by President Uhuru Kenyatta took place at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre monday. This rendezvous gave meaning to Mr Kimunya’s new position.

It took 25 minutes to appoint Jubilee Party’s new majority leader.

‘‘The party leader, His Excellency President Kenyatta proposed my name, it was seconded, it had not been earlier discussed and being the only agenda, the meeting ended,” said Mr Kimunya.

-Additional reporting by Dan Ogetta