‘A hands-on manager and Pan Africanist president’

President Uhuru Kenyatta   PHOTO:COURTESY

By MWANIKI MUNUHE

In social places, he looks jovial and down to earth, he is known for demystifying power and wealth. But events preceding his election as president and even after he was sworn in, paint a picture of hands-on Pan Africanist president who is not only tough but also artful and calculative.

Those who have known President Uhuru Kenyatta for reasonably long time describe him as a strategic leader, who only makes a move after he is clear about what his target is, who on one hand can be calm and jovial and raving and decisive depending on the circumstances.

“President Kenyatta is a man who has a deep understanding of the complex workings of government. He is a hands-on manager who demands very high standards. He is firm and fair. But above all, he is very much in control and in charge,” Attorney General Prof Githu Muigai told The Standard on Sunday.

National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi said: “Kenyatta, the way I know him, feels more comfortable and jovial engaging with ordinary persons, but when in office, he asks hard questions, he doesn’t like people who cry like a baby.

“I know him to be somebody who always keeps his eyes on the ultimate price. He doesn’t mind you giving a promise but he prefers somebody suggesting solutions. If you provide a solution then you can engage. But he doesn’t like people who can’t do their jobs.”      

ANC event

Kenyatta’s Pan Africanism spirit was perhaps first well demonstrated in January last year when he attended African National Congress (ANC), Africa’s oldest liberation movement, 100th anniversary celebrations in South Africa.

Although he was then Deputy Prime Minister, Kenyatta did not attend the event in his official capacity. He had been invited to represent the Kenyatta family, which sources say, had been invited for the support the family had given to ANC all along.

Kenyatta family’s invitation letter had been written by ANC’s secretary general on behalf of the president of the party who is also South African president Jacob Zuma.

He did not get to address the meeting which was held in the town of Bloemfontein, South Africa and attended by numerous world leaders and former heads of state among other African leaders chieftains. 

Uhuru would then visit South Africa a month after he was sworn in as president where he once again emphasized the need for African integration.

“I believe that the future of Africa lies in greater integration as this will widen markets for goods and services. This, in turn, will enhance intra-Africa trade, facilitate generation of wealth and uplift the lives of our people.  Going forward, Africa should now focus on consolidating the various regional economic blocs in the continent. As I have pointed out before, I believe the time for the African economic renaissance is now and African countries should join hands to hasten this reality,” he said while addressing Kenyans living in South Africa on May 11th this year.

Today, Kenyatta has managed to rally majority of countries across Africa so much so that African Union had to call a special summit to discuss his and Deputy President william Ruto’s cases at the ICC.

While some leaders feel Kenyatta’s success with African Union and his success in the 2013 elections was aided by his wide business and political networks, goodwill and his ability to be a tactful negotiator, others feel he is just lucky and this success was only achievable because many African countries felt threatened by the prosecution of an African sitting president and both him and deputy president William Ruto used the ICC card in the run up to the elections.

“When the books of this country’s history will be written, Uhuru Kenyatta will be in them because firstly he is a president. But the only defining characteristic about him will be based purely on the fact that he is a politician who has succeeded in being in the right place at the right time. He has been in the right place at the right time at least six times,” said Senator Bonny Khalwale.

Right time

 “He is the son of a former president, he was picked by former president Moi to succeed him. He joined the NO campaign in 2005 and later supported President Kibaki in 2007. The last time he was in the right place at the right time was when he was jointly charged with  William Ruto at the International Criminal Court. They chose to mobilise their people using the ICC process and managed to convince their supporters to a man,” he added.

But Kangema MP Tiras Ngahu differed saying President Kenyatta is a gifted politician who on one hand managed to convince Kenyans to vote for Jubilee, and on the other hand is now spearheading what he called “Africa’s economic imperialism.”

“Like him or hate him, President Kenyatta is a gifted politician, he is a tactful negotiator. But what I think people need to understand is that the president wants Africa to unite so that we can fight this neocolonialism. We do not have to depend on the West when we control production of raw materails,” he said

 In terms of strategy, said legislator John Mbadi: “I think I would be too generous if I said he is good in strategy. I think he is largely lucky. In 2012, he played victim of the ICC process.

“He was largely seen as if he is being sacrificed. In my view, African countries have agreed with him because they also want to protect themselves. Before Uhuru became president, African leaders did not see any threat.  But now because they have seen ICC can charge a sitting president and a sitting deputy president, they have woken up to protect themselves from future.”