Heightened speculations on a Jubilee-KANU deal after Uhuru meets Moi

dennis kibet

February 17, 2017 10:51 AM

Details of the one-hour long meeting at Moi’s Kabarnet Garden home remain scanty as there was no official communication from State House.

President Uhuru Kenyatta chats with former President Daniel arap Moi when he paid him a courtesy call at his home in Kabarnet Gardens in Nairobi on February 16, 2017.

Speculations on a possible deal between the Jubilee Party and the independent party KANU have heightened following a meeting between President Uhuru Kenyatta and former President Daniel Arap Moi.

However, the meeting have sent tongues wagging especially on social media after a similar meeting by President Kenyatta’s mother, Mama Ngina Kenyatta only last month.

Mama Ngina paid a courtesy call to the Moi at his home in Kabarak a few weeks ago and later described the visit as friendly, not political. "I am here to check on a friend," she said.

KANU undecided

Moi’s son Gideon Moi who took over KANU after Kenyatta ditched the former ruling party to form The National Alliance (TNA), is yet to declare which side on the political divide to back.

Both the ruling Jubilee Party and the opposition National Super Alliance (NASA) have been courting KANU who are seen as key in swinging the crucial votes ahead of the August General Elections.

Though relations between President Kenyatta and Gideon have remained cordial, the same cannot be said about Moi and Deputy President William Ruto.

Gideon has been at loggerheads with DP Ruto as they tussle over political supremacy in Rift Valley.

NASA, Jubilee courtship

Last month in an advert that appeared on the dailies KANU said it will field candidates for all six elective posts in the August polls including that of the president.

“We invite eligible Kenyans, who subscribe to the ideals, vision, mission, objectives and core values of the party to present their expression of interests in confidence to the KANU National Election Board,” the advert written by KANU’s Election Board Chairman Eddie Kivuvani read in part.

The advert threw a spanner in the works since it was widely expected that the independence party would either back President Kenyatta’s presidential bid or the candidate the opposition party would pick from NASA

A National Executive Council (NEC) meeting at the party’s headquarters in Nairobi last month gave KANU Chairman, Gideon Moi the mandate to decide which presidential candidate they will choose come August.

dennis kibet