What might be the reason behind this secret meeting? Is Amani National Congress party leader Musalia Mudavadi seeking an endorsement from Mount Kenya ahead of 2022 succession politics? His meeting with Jubilee Vice chairman and President Uhuru Kenyatta’s confidant David Murathe on Saturday has stirred the political grapevine.
Murathe hosted Mudavadi for more than seven hours at his rural home in Gatanga.
According to The Star, the two attended the burial of renown businessman Muchai Githu in Shomo village, Gatanga constituency, before retreating to Murathe’s home around 5pm.
Mudavadi is reported to have left Murathe’s house after midnight, sparking intense speculation on the mission and substance of their meeting.
Also in the meeting described as “a men-only club” were a few businessmen and influential political operatives who had been invited by Murathe. They included Capt Kungu Muigai, Uhuru’s cousin and de facto spokesman of the Kenyatta family.
Kungu is known to be in the President’s inner circle and is patron of the National Council of Elders and inter-community networking group.
Also present was former Kenya Pipeline and Kenya Volleyball Federation boss Waithaka Kioni.
Yesterday, Murathe played down the meeting and said people should not read too much into it.
According to the local daily, Mudavadi had shown up for the funeral and he decided to host him since former area MP Peter Kenneth and sitting MP had left for Kitale.
The funeral service was attended by among others Kenneth, Gatanga MP Nduati Ngugi and Kieni MP Kanini Kega.
Murathe is no ordinary central Kenya politician. He is Uhuru’s close ally and confidant, having played a major role in his presidential campaigns in 2013 and 2017.
He was at the forefront in the formation of TNA party and later transforming the Jubilee Coalition into Jubilee Alliance Party, the precursor to the current Jubilee Party.
Murathe is also well known to Mudavadi since their days at St Mary’s School, which President Kenyatta also attended.
The meeting comes barely two weeks after President Kenyatta told a gathering of Nyeri leaders that he will shock them with his preference for successor.
His statement, made against the backdrop of divided opinion in central Kenya over his successor within the Kikuyu community and support for the 2022 Presidential election sent tongues wagging. Some have interpreted it to mean Deputy President William Ruto is not guaranteed of his — and by extension the central Kenya — backing while others say it was directed at pouring cold water on the premature 2022 election campaigns.
Since his re-election, Uhuru has avoided making any direct endorsement of Ruto’s presidential bid despite their Jubilee pact.
His November 3 declaration that his choice in the 2022 succession politics would be a shocker to many was the closest he had come to commenting on the controversy.
During the same meeting, Uhuru told MPs from Mt Kenya region to spearhead development and avoid succession talk and ‘loitering’.
The remarks surprised MPs who have been aggressively marketing Ruto’s presidential bid in the populous region despite the President’s repeated cease-and-desist warnings against 2022 politicking. They saw it as the clearest indication that Uhuru may renege on his pre-election promise to back Ruto for the country’s top job.
In 2013, a deal between Uhuru and Ruto to support Mudavadi for the presidency aborted after Uhuru was pressured to back out and contest.
He rescinded his decision which he blamed on the devil and went on to win the election, with crimes against humanity charges hanging on his head at the ICC. Mudavadi was left with egg on his face and performed dismally at the election. He attempted to run in 2017 but abandoned his bid and supported Raila Odinga, for whom he was chief campaigner.
Incidentally, Peter Kenneth, who is Murathe’s close ally is seen as the front runner to succeed Uhuru as central Kenya’s preeminent political figurehead. He has yet to show ambition for 2022 although he is expected to gun for the top two positions. Could Mudavadi be Uhuru’s shocker endorsement who will be deputised by Peter Kenneth?