Why Kenyatta family is split on Raila Odinga candidacy

Deputy President William and Captain Kung'u Muigai during a meeting with the National Council of Elders at his official residence in Karen. [DPPS]

Despite President Mzee Jomo Kenyatta’s family producing two presidents to lead the country, they have not always agreed politically.

The family has also given rise to MPs for different constituencies, including Gatundu, Juja and Dagoretti, and senior government positions including Cabinet ministers and ambassadors.

This year, Mr Kung’u Muigai, the first cousin to President Uhuru Kenyatta, is causing ripples after opting to go against President Kenyatta’s choice of successor.

While defending his decision to support Deputy President Dr William Ruto’s presidential bid against his cousin, who has declared that he will be supporting Mr Raila Odinga, Mr Muigai, said his decision is justified.

Mr Muigai argues that the family has never been united when it comes to political affairs, but this should never be misconstrued to mean that the Kenyatta family is divided.

During the struggle for independence, a member of the Kenyatta family went against Mzee Kenyatta and collaborated with the colonial masters, a move that earned him a plum job.

In 1997, when President Kenyatta made his first debut in politics and decided to vie for Gatundu parliamentary seat through the then ruling party, Kanu, under President Daniel Moi, not all the family members supported him.

“In 1997, my elder brother, Mr Ngengi Muigai was an ardent supporter of the late Mr Kenneth Matiba and was in Ford Asili, while President Kenyatta was in Kanu. Led by Mr Matiba, they boycotted the elections and burnt their voter’s card,” Mr Muigai explained.

It was the same case in 2002 when Mr Kenyatta decided to vie for the presidency under Kanu. 

His cousin, Beth Mugo and his maternal uncle, Mr George Muhoho were supporting former President Mwai Kibaki, who was vying through the National Rainbow Coalition.

As a reward for President Kibaki’s 2002 win, Mugo was appointed the Minister for Public Health by Kibaki in his first government.

Discuss politics

“It is not something new and we have learnt to live with it. When we meet for family functions, we don’t discuss politics and there is no acrimony. Kenyans should differentiate between politics and family matters,” said Mr Muigai.

Mr Muigai, the patron of the National Council of Elders, a group made up of elders from different communities used the past examples to defend his case of supporting Dr Ruto and not his cousin’s preferred presidential candidate, Mr Odinga.

In an exclusive interview, Mr Muigai said being a patron of the National Council of Elders drawn from the 42 communities in the country, he has a duty to ensure that the elders are not divided and adhere to the decisions made by the organ.

He disclosed that the council discussed the Uhuru-Ruto political alliance and at one time, discussed the promises that President Kenyatta made to Dr Ruto, that he would return a hand and support him for 10 years.

“It was a hot debate since some elders from the Luo community felt that leadership was about the Kalenjins and Kikuyus, but it was finally resolved that since it was a promise made by President Kenyatta, we were duty-bound to respect the move,” Mr Muigai said.

He added that President Kenyatta has never invited the National Council of Elders to explain why the change of mind and that upon examining what has been said publicly, the council, has not found solid proof of Dr Ruto’s misgivings.

“We support a government which is made up of President Kenyatta and DP Ruto. We don’t support a faction of government or the opposition. Our elders from Kalenjin, who are part of our council, have remained clear that if Dr Ruto has wronged the country, he needs to be prosecuted in a court of law,” said Mr Muigai.

Mr Muigai, who is also the cultural leader of the Kenyatta family, said although he may have his own political preference, he may not go against the wishes of the council, since that would create divisions.

“When President Kenyatta takes a u-turn on his promises, that puts elders in a precarious situation. We didn’t have a choice but to support the agreement since we want the council to be held in high esteem,” he said.

Mr Muigai noted the council was ready to mediate between President Kenyatta, Dr Ruto and Mr Odinga.

He said sometime last year, the council had undertaken an initiative to visit the presidential aspirants led by ANC Party leader Mr Musalia Mudavadi, Wiper party leader Mr Kalonzo Musyoka and Dr Ruto, but Mr Odinga denied them an audience for no reason.

Mr Muigai’s hard stance comes in the wake of the remarks of the former first lady Mama Ngina Kenyatta, who has rallied the Mt Kenya region to support President Kenyatta’s preferred presidential candidate.

“Let us know where we are going, there is no way your leader can mislead you. Let me tell you, you must know that the person who is sitting under a tree is the one who knows what the insects around there are eating,” she recently said during a burial ceremony.

She also weighed in on Uhuruto lost love saying: “He (Uhuru) didn’t have a problem (with Ruto), but if your deputy shows you disrespect, would you really stick there? You will move on,” she added.

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