WHAT IS JIRONGO UP TO?

Jirongo’s concern is that his Luhya community is being sidelined in plum appointments and a section in Jubilee is perfecting the art of divide-and-rule using MPs, governors and senators for political survival. One person accused of being the Luhya community number one enemy is deputy president William Ruto. Then we have former prime minister Raila Odinga.

The two are said not to be comfortable with a Luhya ascending to presidency and will do all at their disposal to block it. Ruto is accused of scuttling Jubilee plan to have Musalia Mudavadi succeed Mwai Kibaki in 2013 even after Uhuru Kenyatta had agreed to step down for hin to counter them Cord schemes.

After Jubilee ascending to power, Ruto has made it impossible to have Amani Alliance of Mudavadi and Eugene Wamalwa accommodated it the ruling coalition.

Recently, Jirongo almost shed tears when  pictures appeared on television showing a number of Luhya politicians begging for government positions. To Jirongo, with the community’s numerical strength, if united behind one of their own, the issue of begging  will be history.

Towards that end, word has it, Jirongo has been reaching out to prominent Luhya politicians to form a united front and back one of their own. He is said to be taking to Mudavadi, Wamalwa, Noah Wekesa, Kennedy Marende, Soita Shitanda and Alfred Sambu in his new unity bid. Cotu secretary general Francis Atwoli is a key player behind the scenes.

Sources have it the current political relationship between Jirongo and Mudavadi is cordial. When Jirongo lost his mother months back, Mudavadi  was among those who were next to him at the hour of need. Analysts say if the two can agree to work together as  they are doing now, a new political wind will blow in the region. The political fate uniting them is that they all happen to be holding no active political office.

Suprisingly,majority of Luhya political big wigs are pushing to have one party in the region. They have a soft spot for Uhuru compared to Raila and Ruto who they refer to as two Rs.

If, it is true an old belief among the 14 sub-tribes of the Luhya people professed by the then leader of a Christian sect of Dini Ya Musambwa Elijah Masinde that the presidency of a Luhya would come from the lake is anything to go by, then Raila need to use wisely his last remaining bullet in his barrel to propel one to the highest office in the land. However many say he cannot do so and will not back minority leader in senate Moses Wetangula a co-principal in Cord leadership presidential ambitions and instead will block him as he did to the late Wamalwa Kijana and even Mudavadi in ODM. 

Among Wetangula supporters, as matters stand, Raila’s chances of ruling Kenya are next to zero. His only solace is to play the role of a kingmaker again just the same way he did with Kibaki in 2002. Instead of him waiting to be humiliated again let him groom Moses Wetangula to take the reins from him.

Since the demise of Wamalwa Kijana the Luhya nation has stood firm and rallied behind Raila. Marende, Martin Shikuku, Ababu Namwamba and Mudavadii have shelved their ambitions more than once to support Raila.

Luhya unity has been elusive every time they meet to discuss and support one of their own but an outsider like Raila’s influence to groom Wetangula and mend fences with  Mudavadi would bring the protagonists into one table.

The amorphous Cord is not taking him anywhere, it is said. Cracks have emerged since Raila started pushing for the referendum. Kalonzo Musyoka whom some quarters claim wants to bolt out, and Namwamba have taken a back seat after realising that Kenyans have mixed feeling on the referendum.

Raila’s own backyard is threatened with some pockets of divergent views being witnessed in South Nyanza in the name of Migori governor Okoth Obado and Dalmas Otieno of Rongo. Kisii where ODM reigned supreme, locals are leaning towards the government.