Politicians reveal UhuRao coalition - days after Uhuru, Raila secret talks in Dubai

Tony Mukere

May 2, 2019 2:23 PM

A committee has been formed to work on the union

Politicians reveal UhuRao coalition - days after Uhuru, Raila secret talks in Dubai

Allies of President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM Leader Raila Odinga have revealed that a political coalition bringing together the two leaders is in the offing.

The revelation was made a few days after President Kenyatta held secret talks with Odinga in Dubai when the duo was returning from a joint trip to China.

Kenyatta’s ally and former Mukurweini MP Kabando wa Kabando revealed that he was a member of a committee seeking to create a political coalition dubbed UhuRao.

Nominated MP Maina Kamanda, also an insider in the Kenyatta camp, confirmed the partnership saying it was meant to foster national unity.

“We will have a new coalition in 2022. The President had been candid that we can’t follow the same same path we used before and that we will have an inclusive government,” Kamanda said.

The veteran politician said the first agenda of the new formation would be to carry out a national referendum to bring about constitutional changes.

“For the national rebirth to happen, the seeds of ethnic antagonism must die for ethnic cohesion to germinate. For our country to heal the wounds of post-independence betrayals, we must transcend and overcome the jinx of the Kikuyu-Kalenjin political edifice for an inclusive national executive”.

“The sons of the founding fathers have the onerous obligation to midwife national reconciliation and cohesion. Kenya is on the threshold of a new political dispensation; the river is filling; it will flood soon,” Kabando said.

Odinga’s long-time political ally, Kamau Mweha, said a formation bringing together Kenyatta and the ODM leader would win elections “early in the morning”.

The relationship between Kenyatta and Odinga has improved since their unity commitment dubbed the handshake that was announced on March 9 2018.

The handshake has also unsettled some of Deputy President William Ruto's allies who fear the ODM leader could cause divisions in Jubilee.

Tony Mukere