Why Uhuru ordered Raila security detail improved – Weekly Citizen

President Uhuru Kenyatta and Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga during the now infamous handshake

Uhuru Kenyatta ordered ODM leader Raila Odinga security detail beefed up after the handshake where the two leaders buried the hatchet.
Weekly Citizen has established that Uhuru’s decision was reached at after his political advisers told him that going by Jubilee parliamentary results, he was a vulnerable president both in senate and parliament as his diehard supporters had been rigged out and those elected on the party’s ticket in the political alliance were not trustworthy.
Fear was that if an impeachment motion was brought in parliament, the possibility of Uhuru surviving was minimal.
According to sources, Uhuru’s concern was that before the handshake, a section in Jubilee were pushing for Raila’s arrest and detention to create a leadership vacuum in the opposition.
In fact, a move to arrest Raila after being sworn in as people’s president at Uhuru Park, an event that was skipped by Kalonzo Musyoka, Musalia Mudavadi and Moses Wetang’ula was discussed in high security circles. Indeed, the co-principals feared arrest and that is why they skipped the function.
Analysts say the fear of arrest played well in the hands of Uhuru and apart from dividing Nasa, it was instrumental in the handshake deal.
After the swearing–in and deserted by friends in Nasa, Raila without security, was worried of detention for treason as former Attorney General Githu Mungai had called a press conference to state that much.
Raila was aware that a section in Jubilee was pushing for his detention and moved fast to initiate talks with Uhuru leading to the handshake.
Your favourite Weekly Citizen was first to report before the handshake power game that Uhuru and Raila were engaged in secret phone calls.
In fact, after the handshake politics, Raila has claimed in public that Uhuru blocked his detention that was being initiated by his enemies in the ruling party.
Weekly Citizen carried a story revealing how a plot to arrest and detain Raila had been hatched. We reported that Raila was to be locked up at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport Police Station or General Service Unit headquarters on Thika Super Highway.
But Uhuru handlers read political mischief in those pushing for Raila’s detention. To them, with Raila out of political scene, how sure were they Uhuru would not be impeached. They had to move fast to counter and the newfound political marriage between Uhuru and Raila was initiated.
The handshake was aimed at helping Uhuru consolidate his powers in parliament and work to control activities in his Jubilee party. Aware the role Raila was to play in his second term in power after the handshake, the president ordered for immediate improvement of Raila’s security details around him and his residences in Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu and Siaya. His immediate family mermbers are also beneficiaries of this gesture.
Uhuru’s concern being that Raila can help him fight impeachment motion in parliament from any front, be it opposition or Jubilee, he had to play his cards well. For now Raila security has to be paramount.
Talk in the air is that Uhuru was well briefed on events that surrounded the contentious 16pc VAT on fuel tax. Jubilee MPs in parliament turned against the president only for Raila to come to his aid going by recent meeting between Uhuru and Jubilee leadership in parliament both in senate and parliament held in Mombasa. Uhuru is not comfortable with his party MPs.
According to sources, Uhuru in private has always said that Jubilee MPs do not respect him as the party leader and like skipping his functions. In fact, during a recent church service at Ridgeways Kiambu, Uhuru left in a huff, leaving his deputy who had arrived late after he was told local MPs had travelled to Naivasha to attend the DP’s prayer meeting. By then talk was that Uhuru had abandoned his Kikuyu community in development matters. But speaking to a section of Jubilee MPs,they accuse Uhuru of being mean compared to Ruto and having no respect for them.Again they claimUhuru does not keep time.
Talk within corridors of power is that a move to impeach Uhuru was planned for 2020. In the plot was to bring ODM rebels on the list of MPs opposed to Uhuru style of leadership. To get more MPs was to target ANC elected ones and those in Ford K after ODM staged a coup in senate and removed Wetangula as minority leader in favour of Siaya senator James Orengo.
Uhuru handlers are of the opinion that the scheme can still be perfected if Raila is not in control of ODM and out off scene. Remember, even in Central Kenya his own home turf, rebellion is brewing among local MPs.
In his new book titled Treason: The Case Against Tyrants and Renegades, Miguna Miguna says William Ruto will be out of Jubilee ahead of the 2022 general election.
In the first scheme, the fight against corruption targets Ruto.In second scheme, Miguna claims Uhuru anti-Ruto allies plan to expand the executive with a prime minister post that would be taken up by Uhuru after his second term ends. The Bridging Bridges Team is being used to achieve this goal.
Former Jubilee vice-chair David Murathe is central in the plot.
Anti-Ruto forces, to create a rift with his boss, want to be seen as not sitting pretty waiting to be sent to the guillotine, but has amassed adequate human and capital resources to send Uhuru home by 2021 in case the threats by the likes of Murathe persist.
Secondly, Ruto is ready for a snap election should Jubilee Party disintegrate, forcing the country to go for a fresh election before 2022.
For one, Ruto has the support of the majority of MPs and this is one of the reasons Uhuru failed to sack the DP’s allies in cabinet as the new names would have been shot down in parliament.
Besides enjoying the support of about 130 Jubilee MPs, Ruto, according to sources, also enjoys the support of about 40 other legislators from Nasa and its affiliates who are at his beck and call.
This number gives him the ammunition to shoot down any bill spearheaded by either Uhuru or Raila to frustrate his 2022 presidential bid.
Ruto, insiders say, has also started establishing international networks.
Initially, there were reports the West was opposed to Ruto’s presidential bid due to his involvement in graft and dalliance with the Chinese.
But last week, the deputy president put such reports to rest when he gave a lecture at the Chatham House in London where he explained why he rejects the creation of a prime minister’s position.
Ruto’s other course of action was revealed by Sirisia MP John Waluke when he called for the dissolution of parliament to pave way for a fresh presidential election should the likes of Murathe continue to demean the DP.
Waluke demanded to know who Murathe was speaking for and further called for the 12th parliament dissolution “so that we and go and seek a new mandate”.
The constitution Article 59 (3) states that should parliament pass a resolution supported by majority of the MPs declaring it has no confidence in the government; the president should within three days either resign from his office or dissolve parliament.
“If the national assembly passes a resolution which is supported by the votes of a majority of all the members of the assembly (excluding the ex officio members), and of which not less than seven days’ notice has been given in accordance with the standing orders of the assembly, declaring that it has no confidence in the government of Kenya, and the president does not within three days of the passing of that resolution either resign from his office or dissolve parliament, parliament shall stand dissolved on the fourth day following the day on which that resolution was passed,” the constitution reads.
Speaking a day after Murathe quit his party position and vowed to go ahead and seek an advisory opinion at the Supreme Court regarding Ruto’s presidential bid, the MPs who included outspoken Bahati legislator Kimani Ngunjiri dared Uhuru to resign if he is tired of leading the country to pave way for either Ruto to take over or fresh elections.
“If Kenyatta is tired of leading this country he should immediately call for fresh elections so that we can end this political rumour-mongering or we will impeach him,” Ngunjiri threatened.
Those in the know say the MP had been given a script to read to warn Uhuru. Ngunjiri added that the head of state should carry the cross of incitement during past campaigns for his derogatory remarks against Raila.
Kiminini MP Chris Wamalwa was the first to sensationally claim Ruto’s allies were not happy with the president and were planning to impeach him.
Wamalwa alleged Ruto’s camp was bitter with the president for sidelining the DP in some of the major decisions he made.
Wamalwa alleged two factions had emerged within the ruling party, one pushing for the Big Four agenda and the anti-graft war, and the other focusing on the 2022 succession agenda.
Among the issued said to have been causing a lot of friction in the ruling party is the handshake deal between Uhuru and Raila.