Can Gideon Moi control Rift Valley politics 2022? – Weekly Citizen

It is now clear that Baringo senator Gideon Moi is trying to play a major role in Uhuru Kenyatta succession, after his party, KANU, formally entered into a post-election pact with the ruling Jubilee party. Political pundits are in doubt whether the move was shot in the arm by Uhuru or a poisoned chalice in the making.

Isaac Ruto

Kenyatta who apparently was under siege in the ruling party that is dominated by the deputy president allies was left with no choice but to seek the former ruling party in these dying moments of his last term. Already, the president has brought on board the Orange Democratic Movement party led by Raila Odinga, the Wiper party under Kalonzo Musyoka, who are other cogs as he attempts to take charge of his succession, after betraying his deputy president who is determined to be the fifth president of Kenya. Uhuru’s choice of the son of the dead former president Daniel Moi first is seen as a desperate move to have Gideon assist him to checkmate Ruto in the Kalenjin politics where the deputy president is the undisputed king.

Musa Sirma

Second he prefers Gideon to return favour to Moi who largely contributed to his presidency when Moi unsuccessfully tried to make him his successor in 2002. With Gideon, Uhuru is also sending a message to the Kalenjin community that he has not forsaken them, after abandoning Ruto something that many say Uhuru seems to be taking the Kalenjins for small children who can be cheated with a ball gum for their lollipop. Uhuru and Gideon know that it is a daunting task to wrestle the Kalenjin community from Ruto, but politics being the art of the possible, the two have embarked on that journey well aware of the politics of dynasty versus hustlers that is already shaping the succession politics. To galvanize the support of the Kalenjin, Moi would have to work extra hard and adopt a new and better strategy.

Nick Salat

Infact, in the absence of Ruto, Gideon is not even the replacement if you ask locals who say they are done with Moi. It is against this background that he has been playing catch up after he first plunged in politics in 2002, upon the retirement of his father and captured the Baringo Central constituency seat. He lost in 2007 and re-emerged again in 2013 where he was elected as the senator for Baringo. Baringo county is a fanatical Ruto region and in 2013 and 2017 Moi was forced to engage in tough campaigns to capture the seat following stiff opposition from the Ruto team. His performance in the county is being questioned with talk that he is interested in natural resources that have been discovered in the county.

Alex Tolgos

Away from Baringo Gideon enjoys some support in West Pokot county where Governor John Lonyangapuo and the senator Samuel Poghisio were elected on Kanu ticket, Another MP elected on Kanu ticket is Samuel Moroto and his Tiaty counterpart William Kamket. But Lonyangapuo has since shifted to Ruto camp. There is no love lost between Poghisio who was picked to the majority leader and Lonyangapuo. It is said Poghisio wants to vie for the gubernatorial seat. There is virtually no presence of the former ruling party in the other counties dominated by the Kalenjin, Uasin Gishu, Nandi, Kericho, Bomet and Elgeyo Market which are leaning to the Ruto side. After the demise of Moi, Kanu secretary general Isaac Salat said that the party would be revamped and that many people were eager to join it that remains to be seen.

Joshua Kutuny

Gideon during the funeral was also handed a baton as a symbol and promised to take over the mantle. Many however said Gideon was made leader of the Moi family and not the community. What remains to be seen is whether Gideon will walk the talk, taking into account that he is facing a hostile community after Uhuru betrayed them by not supporting Ruto for the top seat in 2022. The Kalenjin community are known to vote to a man, wherever they have their interest taken care of, the reason they voted for the ODM leader in 2007 and also did the same to Uhuru in 2013 and 2017. But they are known to rebel when they feel their stakes are not taken care of.

Zakayo Cheruiyot

This was seen in 2005 when they rejected the referendum despite Moi supporting it and went on to vote against Mwai Kibaki in 2007. In 2010, in support of their son Ruto who was the lone voice to oppose the referendum for the current constitution, they voted against the wishes of President Kibaki. The foot soldiers in Gideon’s camp that have an arduous task to woo over the community include the Elgeyo Marakwet governor Alex Tolgos, MPs Paul Tiren, Kamket, Joshua Kutuny and former MPs Musa Sirma, Zakayo Cheruiyot, Frankline Bett and former Bomet governor Isaac Rutto. It will be interesting to see how politics will unfold in the Kalenjin land.