By James Wafula in Nairobi.
President Uhuru Kenyatta has exactly six months to end his two term 10 years in power without having enjoyed the glitter and pomp that characterized his political mentor the late Daniel Moi.
Moi who ruled Kenya longest, a record 24 years, was the ‘cockerel” that roared in Nairobi as choirs and bands sang themselves hoarse in his praise!
Moi was the “Farmer number 1”, “Teacher number ” and “Father number 1” who choirs eulogised as a “wise and dynamic” leader and where news on the KBC national broadcaster started and ended with him!
That was vintage Moi of the 1980’s and 1990’s whose path you crossed at your own peril! Especially during the one party KANU rule 1982-1992, till he stepped down in 2002.
Moi’s “heir apparent” Uhuru Kenyatta has not enjoyed such luxuries after courts of law almost reduced him to a “lame duck president”! Kenyatta has battled pressure from all around him in his two term tenure that includes the covid 19 global pandemic that erupted March 2020.
He has faced a defiant deputy William Ruto, 56, openly defying his policies yet he is unable to sack him thanks to the 2010 new constitution.
Defiant judges have in turn caused him waking nightmares as one bill after another is rejected and outlawed from BBI to Huduma number! Even as he prepares to exit courts are still delivering blows! Like reinstating Jubilee MCAs and rejecting covid 19 mandatory vaccination.
As the 61-year-old son of Jomo prepares to step down he can only look back with pride at the first 2013-2017 that seemed to have gone smoothly until he fell out with his deputy in 2018. The handshake with Odinga March 9, 2018 may have ushered in much need political tranquility but it served to split the ruling party jubilee down the middle as Uhuru-Ruto drifted apart.
Into this rift is a barely functional government split down the middle with a DP and his allies waging rebellion from within even fronting another political party UDA!
This would have been unheard of under Moi where every minister “toed the line” or woke up to sacking on KBC 1 o’clock news! Choirs in state corporations, government and parastatals made a fortune just singing in praise of Moi.
There was always “something small” for the entertainment groups competing to massage the ego of Kenya’s longest ruling second president who died February 2020 aged 95.
Under Uhuru that has not happened! He has not even named any street or building after himself. But he has allowed his wife to be named after a Nairobi hospital, a modest move indeed. And so the curtains fall on Kenya’s 4th president as largely un-celebrated! At least in the eyes of Moi supporters in KANU■
