By Gilbert Okenya
Truth be told, the appointment of Miguna Miguna as Nairobi Deputy Governor is simply a political gimmick meant to escalate the debate of his citizenship even further.
This is about opposing factions in government trying to outsmart each other. It has everything to do with the high octane 2022 succession politics, which has already began in earnest.
Unfortunately, we are a country that is perpetually trapped and hypnotized by a never ending circus of dramatic politicking and gossip. Nothing excites us more as a nation.
This is to an extent that news of 9 billion of our tax money stolen from NYS is nothing compared to Sonko appointing Miguna Miguna as his deputy, or a clip of a certain Jacinta having fun with some hapless fish.
Back to MM’s appointment, Sonko understands well that this ain’t going anywhere since the Kenyan government still maintains that the man he appointed is Canadian.
It’s in public knowledge that Sonko hasn’t been in the good books of statehouse lately. His nomination of MM, coming hot in the heels of an incident where president Uhuru snubbed him in Solai, speaks volumes.
Sonko’s move to appoint Miguna Miguna is a bold flash of the middle finger in the eyes of the Mount Kenya fraternity which has been silently – though viciously – fighting him in Nairobi.
But he isn’t alone in this scheme. Sonko is a valuable player in one of the two emerging Jubilee camps. His political godfather in Jubilee is well known. Sonko is one of the main strikers in the Hustler team.
If you thought the political divorce Moses Wetangula prophesied was a NASA only affair, you haven’t seen what is about to happen in Jubilee. Maybe Omwami Weta is actually in the wrong profession. He should drop politics and start making money as a fortuneteller
To borrow Weta’s words, the factional infighting in Jubilee Party is about to get noisier, messier and with several casualties. The Miguna saga might as well be the straw that broke the camel’s back.
Expect the side of government which declared Miguna Miguna persona non grata in the country to stay put in their stand that Ja-Nyando must reapply for citizenship in his own motherland.
This is something the obstinate Canadian barrister from Nyando can only do over his dead body since there can’t be a better way of accepting that he hasn’t been Kenyan all along, in spite of all the drama he has treated the world to.
It will also mean that all the wins MM has had in court in the recent past might be rendered null and void once he accepts to reapply for his Kenyan passport.
On the flip side, the government is damned if it does allow Miguna into the country unconditionally, as ordered by the courts, and damned if it doesn’t obey the orders.
Allowing MM into the country as a Kenyan citizen means accepting liability that the government has been in obvious contempt of the many court orders and in the wrong side of the law all along!
If MM decides to sue for damages, as he’s likely to do, the government will then not only be forced to pay him millions in compensation but it Will also be extremely embarrassed before the entire world. A lot of egg will be left on its face.
If you have been conjuring images of Miguna Miguna and Sonko working as a team in City Hall, snap out of it already. The probability of that coming to pass is slim to none.
Even without the legal hurdles, it’s common knowledge that City Hall won’t be spacious enough to housey the two gargantuan egos of Sonko and Miguna Miguna.
While Miguna is an extremely proud and condescending human being, Sonko is not only proud but a very insecure man too. They might not last a month working together.
The two make a perfect oil and water mixture. Expecting Miguna Miguna to take orders from a man he described only last year as “functionally illiterate”- a man he was convinced can’t correctly spell the word “governor” – is expecting too much.
It’s akin to looking for a virgin amongst the heavily pregnant women in a Pumwani Hospital labour ward!
Sonko enjoys nothing more than being seen as the man in charge. He operates like gangster boss who will do anything to protect his territory and authority over those under him.
Right from day one, any suggestion from a more learned and informed deputy governor like Dr Miguna will look, to Sonko, as an attempt to undermine his authority. I guess the same thing happened with Polycarp Igathe.
Then why would Sonko settle on Miguna Miguna as his preferred deputy when he knows well that this choice won’t see light of day?
One thing you can be sure of is; this is not about the love for Miguna and human justice. This is about political expediency and Miguna Miguna is just a pawn. This has the fingerprints of the high voltage 2022 politics all over it.
The drama is about a major political tug of war that’s gathering momentum between the top two Jubilee bosses and their respective factions. The gloves might be slowly coming off.
This brings us to another important question: How then does the Hustler camp, which Sonko plays for, benefit from the Miguna miguna drama? The ultimate plan is to frustrate the handshake politics from within.
So long as the Uhuru government keeps on frustrating Miguna Miguna’s smooth entry into the country of his forefathers, it not only continues to be in blatant contempt of the courts but also frustrates the spirit of reconciliation launched by the BIG handshake between Uhuru and Raila.
The longer the Miguna Miguna drama will remain in the limelight, the more it serves the interests of those opposed to the newfound love between Uhuru and Raila.
Their “Building Bridges” initiative will make little sense to the public if Miguna Miguna keeps on getting frustrated and denied his birthright (Kenyan citizenship) by the government.
Guess who becomes the biggest beneficiary if the Raila-Uhuru alliance flops. Your guess is as good as mine. Such an eventuality will definitely make a the Hustler political camp ecstatic and orgasmic with celebrations.
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