By Jerome O
In his entire reign as president, for a total of 15 years, Mzee Kenyatta only made two trips abroad, to England in 1964 and to Ethiopia in 1969
His son Uhuru has made 96 trips in the last six years. He is likely to do at least 200, or 198 more compared to what his father did, by the end of his tenure
Mzee Kenyatta is the man who single handedly invented corruption, tribalism, nepotism and land grabbing. All these thrive in Uhuru’s regime, meaning he inherited all bad traits, but failed to adopt the very few good attributes, from his father, like staying at home, to save the tax payer’s money
Uhuru spends most of his time floating in the skies, at the expense of the tax payer and the old Fokker plane is always headed to China to seek expensive loans, most which fund projects contracted to the same Chinese, thus they are the beneficiaries and not Wanjiku
During his first term, I thought Uhuru had opted to fly without perching, in line with Prof Achebe’s Eneke the bird, who had to do so because men had learnt to shoot without missing, just to avoid being eaten by his political nemesis a Raila Odinga, but I am surprised,even after they became brothers, Uhuru still can’t just perch
He should at least reduce these flights for reasons that the gods of Kamagut may respond to prayers with the names Juvénal Habyarimana or Cyprien Ntaryamira or Samora Machel
This may arise from situation that some people have likened this particular succession to that of senior Kenyatta in 1978, the only instance a deputy president has risen to be president
The arrangement worked because senior Kenyatta died. Were he leaving office for retirement, it would be a different ball game. Similarly, if Junior Kenyatta dies today, Ruto will be Kenya’s president for the next nine years
If he dies late next year, Ruto will be Kenya’s president for the next 12 and a half years
But since Uhuru doesn’t look like he can die, anytime soon, and instead it is the supposed heir who may appear so, then these two scenarios are completely different and incomparable
What most people, including senior columnist Macharia Gaitho don’t seem to get right is the fact that Moi’s ascension to power wasn’t because of his humility or any input from from, but purely a Wanyonyi’s undertaking
Humility for Ruto may not take him far. He has to confront Uhuru and ask to be to told categorically, if he is still supporting him or not. If he is still supporting him, he has to go ahead and ask why his acts aren’t aligned to this
If he isn’t supporting him, he must get a party of his own, one he has 100% control, and fashion it as his vehicle to presidency. Being more loyal than what he has already been,is the fuel that will cook is goose
It is politically risky to continue riding in a car, whose driver is moody, and depend on it to attain a destination of your choice
Don’t act Moi because these are two different circumstances. Ask Prof Saitoti who was loyal for a good 14 years to the extend to clapping when Moi told him on his face that he (Saitoti) was his friend, he couldn’t bequeath leadership to him because friendship and the later are two different things
Wake up and smell the coffee, my fellow son of Kamagut
Good morning my fellow Southerners!!
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