It is barely two years since Kenya held the presidential elections in 2017.
Alot has happened sing August 2017 from the re run of the presidential election then to the famous handshake between President Kenyatta and Opposition leaders Raila Odinga in March 2018.
Well there are speculations that Hon. Raila Odinga might or might not run for the top seat in 2022 however he has not yet comeout clear on that issue, however his allies have dismissed the fact the he will not run.
One Siaya County Senator James Orengo who is a die hard ODM politician and Raila’s right hand man has come out stating that President Uhuru Kenyatta is yet to suprise us all with his choice of his successor.
Deputy President William Ruto has been speculated to be the President’s successor something President Kenyatta had said while they were both campaigning in 2013, but lately he has not mentioned his successor yet something that seem to anger the Kalenjin community claiming that President Kenyatta is not fulfilling a promise he made to them.
But according to Hon Orengo, the President might endorse opposition leader Raila Odinga for the 2022 presidential race.
In his statement he said, “At the end of the day, we’re saying that the leadership of Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila Amolo Odinga is going to produce the next President of the Republic of Kenya.”
In addition, “I’m glad when President Uhuru Kenyatta was saying he’s going to surprise people in Jubilee as to who is going to be the next President of the Republic of Kenya, he was saying that knowing that Ruto is the Deputy President and that surprise, according to us, practically and for all reasons, is Raila Amolo Odinga.”
Orengo, further added saying that there will be a referendum to address the 20% of the Constitution that needed attention.
The referendum issue is not new to the opposition.
According to Raila, “We agreed with the President that as soon as the Building Bridges task force finishes collecting views across the country, the buck will stop with the people through another vote to address the longstanding issues in the country.”
His calls for a referendum were echoed by the Ufungamano II group is pushing for reforms to ‘dignify’ the opposition by enabling the runners-up in the presidential election to serve as the Leader of Official Opposition in the National Assembly while the running mate becomes the Leader of Official Opposition in the Senate.
“Amend the Constitution to reduce the number of Members of National Assembly to 209, comprising of members elected from 150 constituencies, 47 Women Representatives, and 12 Special members,” read the Ufungamano II arrangement.
In November President Kenyatta promised that he would be at the centre of succession politics towards the end of his final term.
“They think because Uhuru is going home in 2022, he will not have a word on what will happen. I am telling them when the right time comes, I will have something to say,” the President told a rally in Nyeri town.
“Some think I have kept quiet because I am not capable of talking politics. I am still a politician. They will be shocked when that time comes, but for now I want to concentrate on delivering my pledges to Kenyans,” he added.