What awaits Uhuru as he jets back

Blood, tears and a Jubilee implosion about to happen await President Uhuru Kenyatta as he lands back into the country from France via Egypt, where he had made a stopover.  

 The political environment that the President left in the country when he jetted out a week ago has morphed into an ugly mess, with catcalling and chest thumping ruling the day.

From an alleged attempted ‘coup’ within the ruling party that saw Deputy President William Ruto storm Jubilee headquarters, and his subsequent ‘suspension’ as well as Sunday’s event in Murang’a that took a violent and fatal turn, the political atmosphere has been marred by anxiety.

Top of the President’s agenda will be the headache of his deputy, who is now openly defying him as he engages a higher gear in his ‘premature’ 2022 campaigns against the party’s wishes.

“I have always maintained that we have an agenda as a government that we want to complete. We are two years from an election, and this is not the time to start campaigning,” President Kenyatta said on Friday in an interview with France 24.

BBI report

In a ‘few days’, President Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga are expected to receive the BBI report, his ‘magic bullet’ to try and offer the cohesion antidote to a country heading back to heightened political divisions.

In the interview, President Kenyatta was categorical that the handshake, which birthed BBI, was his focus before turning his eyes to the succession politics, which is already tearing his party apart.

“The handshake was meant to help the political class agree on those issues that divide them, giving Kenyans an opportunity in future to choose a leader and have a system that is inclusive; with acceptable election results,” he said.

“It is for that reason that I reached out to the opposition. Of, course there are some who feel that this reaching out is meant to sideline others. There is nothing more to the contrary.”

Handshake agenda

President Kenyatta said he hoped the ‘rebels’ within his party would work with him and not against him to achieve the handshake agenda. “… My prayer is that those in my political party would work with me to help me achieve this for Kenya, and our people. I am hopeful that we shall work together towards this even with my deputy.”

But with his one week’s absence and the political drama witnessed during that period, Mr Kenyatta will have a tall order as his party is fragmented than before. It will be interesting to watch whether Jubilee leaders led by Secretary-General Raphael Tuju will make good their threat this week to kick out Dr Ruto from the party leadership.

It will also be interesting to see whether DP’s allies will make good their threat to ‘occupy’ the party headquarters with the boss around.