Jitters as Uhuru Orders Raila to Accomodate Tuju in Tricky Siaya Politics

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Cabinet Secretary without portfolio Raphael Tuju stepped down as Jubilee Party Secretary-General during a national delegates conference yesterday. He was replaced by Ndaragwa MP Jeremiah Kioni.

Tuju resigned to concentrate on other political engagements, according to the party.

Apparently, the former Ktn news anchor is going back to Siaya politics where his political career was illuminated from.

He served as Rarieda MP for five years before he was swept away by the ODM wave in 2007.

The politician insisted on backing Mwai Kibaki for President even when it was clear that the Nyanza region was solidly behind ODM leader Raila Odinga.

Though he lost his seat, his influence in government continued growing and the appointment to serve as Jubilee SG thrust him into the national limelight.

His entry into elective positions again has thrown Siaya County politics into a spin.

Speculations are rife about the position he will go for. Some argue he is gunning for the gubernatorial seat while others believe he has set his eyes on the senatorial position. The Rarieda parliamentary seat has also been mentioned.

President Uhuru Kenyatta, who has worked with Tuju for years, is said to be rooting for the CS. He has reportedly told Raila to support Tuju for the position he wants.

It is a situation of giving and taking. Since the Head of State is backing the Raila to succeed him, the opposition leader will have to make big sacrifices, a step that may weaken ODM.

Siaya Senator James Sakaja is the leading contestant for the gubernatorial position, while Raila’s elder brother Oburu Oginga is firmly in the senatorial race. Rarieda MP Otiende Amollo has no strong competitor.

Among the three, the former Prime Minister has to throw one under the bus to accommodate Tuju.

Two months ago, the former Premier endorsed Oburu for the Senate post. “Oburu is a seasoned leader and should not come here to beg for votes.”

Last year, Orengo and Otiende defied their party boss and opposed the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) report in Parliament, saying it had glaring constitutional errors that needed to be amended. Both are senior lawyers.

Otiende was stripped of his Vice-Chairmanship position in the National Assembly Justice Legal Affairs Committee.

They later made peace with Raila and even defended BBI at the Court of Appeal after the High Court shot it down. The case is now at the Supreme Court.

Any decision by the ODM chief may result in serious ramifications, including voter apathy, which will hurt his presidential ambition.

The post Jitters as Uhuru Orders Raila to Accomodate Tuju in Tricky Siaya Politics appeared first on LitKenya.

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