Uhuru remains firmly in control despite many challenges in his way

The other day, I watched in disbelief as Bomet leaders walked out of President Uhuru Kenyatta’s meeting in the county. The leaders justified their action by saying they were “ignored” and not given a chance to air the grievances of their electorate.

With these and many more short stories to come, what our politicians haven’t realised is that Kenya’s landscape is now in a different place. And it is changing rather fast for many a politician used to the ‘normal’ Kenyan script.

For starters, President Uhuru Kenyatta is in his second and last term in office. He has set his eyes on the Big Four development agenda and wants to cement and leave a legacy.

This was very clear when, after Kenya’s 2017 elections, he strategised and ensured that his erstwhile opponent and Opposition leader Raila Odinga was with him courtesy of the March 2018 handshake.

In the President’s own words, the handshake was not frivolous - it was meant to unite all Kenyans regardless of tribe or political affiliation. And this has been his consistent message. Because many politicians did not understand the handshake, the President faced some internal rebellion from those whose eyes are firmly fixed on Kenya’s 2022 elections.

With all manner of schisms almost turning Jubilee Party on its head, he chose a path that has slowly punctured his critics from within and without. And he seems settled even while other politicians are yet to smell the coffee.

Many politicians

Indeed, his strategy seems to have left many politicians without a plan as he remains focused on slaying the corruption mongrel to the chagrin of many beneficiaries.

Knowing what corruption has done to Kenya, he has used all avenues to admonish and speak strongly against the vice.

This is because he understands the potential corruption has to work against his Big Four agenda and completely destroy the country.

To match words with action, the President deftly removed the heads of the investigations and prosecution arms of Government that were seen to be lax and ineffective.

He has entrusted the new-look anti-graft team — Director of Criminal Investigations George Kinoti, Director of Public Prosecutions Noordin Haji, Solicitor General Ken Ogeto and Attorney General Paul Kihara — with the mission of changing the profile of his tenure.

And then, the National Intelligence Service, hitherto confined to collecting mainly political and security intelligence, has been roped in.

There are also anticipated changes in the President’s strategy for encircling corruption cartels with changes at the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission and the National Police Service, whose heads are set to leave soon.

The President also seems focused on the Executive for non-performance, which ultimately will mess up his strategy.

He has on several occasions publicly put heads of various Government agencies on the defensive, showing that it’s no longer business as usual.

If you are in doubt, just ask Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mwangi Kiunjuri and get a briefing. The good CS has twice been publicly admonished for ills facing Kenya’s agricultural sector.

Beyond words, the President has also brought supervision of the agencies charged with investigations and prosecutions closer to his office.

Push agenda

With Uhuru secure and firmly in control, he now has leverage to push his agenda and legacy with confidence, holding out the prospect for real change.

But if he does not get what he wants from such an environment, which is quite unlikely, the President could just as easily lead a united Kenya in a different direction of his choice.

And with the Opposition broadly supporting him because of the strategy that has seen many in their corner numb, only a handful of MPs, if at all, can authoritatively claim the viable ‘Opposition’ tag although they still would have little or no sway as long as the President pays their salaries and allowances.

For now, his influence locally is intact and commands public respect and support. His grip on the country is secure as can be.

This all adds up to one who is a secure president which, in turn, grants him leverage and the freedom he needs to implement whatever policies he deems necessary to push his legacy.

What this means is that the Big Four agenda and Uhuru’s legacy path is all set for action.

As long as he is firmly in control and uses the political advantage he has built, and as long as the political noises remain low, he will have little challenge keeping Kenya united and uplifting the living standards of all Kenyans.

Prof Mogambi, a development communication and social change expert, teaches at the University of Nairobi; hmogambi@yahoo.co.uk