By Our Reporters.
Kenya’s second President Daniel Arap Moi was the undisputed regional kingpin of the vast vote rich Rift Valley throughout his 24 year reign.
Even at the dawn of multi-partyism euphoria that challenged the ruling party KANU three decade monopoly of power, Rift valley remained “loyal” to Moi.
Indeed as he was stepping down in 2001 and dangling “project Uhuru” roundly rejected in Mount Kenya, the Rift Valley voted almost to a man for Uhuru who came a strong second to Kibaki in the 2002 transition elections.
Moi, who died February 2020 aged 94 was the self professed master of Kenya’s heavily ethnic driven politics, and his heir apparent Uhuru appears to have studiously followed his footsteps.
But Uhuru’s time is up and retirement is beckoning. Its the turn of Gideon Moi the anointed high priest of the re-branded KANU Fresh in what would be a clear display of political dynasty at play. Gideon may well be planning on joining the One Kenya Alliance but analysts say a lot will hang on what he is bringing to the table.
As KANU rebrands, and re-invents itself, Gideon strategists are banking on stirring some “sympathy votes” in the land of the Kalenjin who like their Kikuyu neighbours, always vote in one basket.
Gideon, 62, and a close confidante of President Kenyatta, 61, is well aware of the daunting task ahead trying to “unlock” votes in the rift valley that is under Ruto’s iron grip.
Ruto’s iron grip demonstrated throughout the 2013-2017 hotly contested elections went far and wide to include pastoral communities dubbed KAMATUSA forming a formidable block of support that will require the strength of the biblical Samson to dismantle.
Ruto’s well oiled election campaign machine has already made serious in-roads in the Mount Kenya region that former prime minister Raila Odinga is banking on in the 2022 epic duel.
The Deputy President has braved all odds to trounce Kenyatta fronted jubilee candidates in a string of by-elections held in the backyard of the head of state.
A furious head of state pushing “project Odinga” took to Live Citizen TV to berate his deputy for “sabotaging” the government from within citing his declared opposition to the BBI that has twice flopped in the high court. Its final fate now lies at the supreme court.
Uhuru renewed his war with judges who have constantly trashed his directives the latest being the covid 19 lock-downs and curfews they now say are illegal and unconstitutional.
Uhuru may have tamed Odinga through the March 9 2019 handshake, but a hostile judiciary will remain a thorn in his flesh to haunt him long after he retires.
As for Gideon, now the prince of the independence former ruling party, the issue of sympathy votes might turn out to be a hard sale. Since 2007 when retired President Moi then openly campaigned for incumbent President Mwai Kibaki, his Kalenjin tribesmen rebelled and voted almost to a man for Raila Odinga of ODM. Then Odinga’s de-facto rift valley supremo was Ruto who effectively ended Moi’s decades old political supremacy in the region.
Since then it has been bad blood between the Mois and Ruto and indeed even as he was bed-ridden battling age related ailments there were claims Moi had ordered that Ruto should not attend his burial.
An attempt by Ruto to see the old man before his demise failed as the family turned him away asking him to “book an appointment.”■
