President Kenyatta has emerged as a political grandmaster by cunningly roping in Raila Odinga as his preferred man at State House.
Uhuru is now pulling the strings in the unfolding succession battle, taking firm control of the game with about five months to the polls.
This even as it emerged Uhuru's team is working on a scheme to deny Raila’s ODM the majority in Parliament to exert even more control.
Uhuru, whose two five-year terms end in August, has set tongues wagging, with observers anxious he could remain in control even after August.
Jubilee has picked him the chairman for another five-year term, thrusting him into the rough and tumble of politics even after leaving office.
The party on Saturday approved radical changes to its constitution including splitting the position of deputy leader into four, consequently handing Uhuru sweeping powers at the apex.
Further, Uhuru has put together a powerful political machine of more than a dozen parties.
Curiously, most of the parties that back Raila in the State House race have joined Azimio through Jubilee. They appointed the President their lead negotiator in Azimio.
Uhuru has through political guile navigated the usually bumpy political terrain to deliver what analysts have termed a political masterstroke with far-reaching ramifications.
He will definitely have major political say in the next government if Raila’s Azimio vehicle manages to edge out William Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza Alliance.
“Uhuru is a man who cannot be underrated; he is above his game. He knows if you give Raila power with many MPs he can be mischievous and may not even honour the promises,” said political analyst Martin Andati.
Andati said the President is keen to ensure that should Raila win the presidency under Azimio he would not have as many MPs as possible to turn against the interest of Uhuru’s Mt Kenya region.
“Uhuru is also learning from history that Raila can also play mischief, that you give him power and two days later you cannot access him, and by way of controlling him you need the majority of MPs,” he said.
In what is seen to be part of his grand scheme to have the majority say in the Azimio movement, Uhuru has brought at least eight political parties to negotiate through the Jubilee faction of the coalition.
They include Kenya Union Party linked to West Pokot Governor John Lonyangapuo, Party of National Unity led by Agriculture CS Peter Munya and UPIA associated with Treasury CS Ukur Yattani.
Others are the United Progressive Alliance that has Nyamira Governor Amos Nyaribo as the party leader but linked to Interior CS Fred Matiang’i and the Democratic Action Party associated with Defence CS Eugene Wamlwa.
Also on the President’s side is the Coast-based Pamoja Africa Alliance of Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi, Mandera Governor Ali Roba’s UDM party and Jubilee, where he is party leader.
This indicates that the President is pushing to raise his stakes for a power deal with the Azimio through the amalgamation of several parties relying on him as their point man.
Jubilee has signed a cooperation agreement with the small parties, binding them to the union as they pursue a power deal with Azimio amid jitters of suspicion.
The Star has established that Uhuru is likely to be the de facto leader of the Azimio coalition and a guarantor of several parties that the power sharing agreement inked will be honoured.
Raila is widely expected to fly the Azimio flag as the presidential candidate.
On Saturday, while addressing the Jubilee National Delegates Conference, Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka lifted the lid, asking the President to be the leader of the Azimio coalition.
"We are together in this journey but we will negotiate, structured dialogue, honest conversation, correcting even historical imbalances because building a coalition is not easy anywhere and I propose Mr President you take leadership of that coalition,” Kalonzo said.
The former vice president’s remarks pointed to what is seen as evident caution among partners joining Azimio over lack of a foolproof path that would guarantee honouring of promises.
The Azimio coalition is tipped to be a mega movement that will face Ruto's Kenya Kwanza Alliance, which has protested Uhuru's plan to rule after retirement.
The DP, who is getting increasingly isolated as the country’s main political players and strategic party leaders gang up against his State House bid, has warned that the President wants to rule through "puppet Raila."
Uhuru’s move to marshal at least 13 political parties, including the One Kenya Alliance, has exposed what politicians say is the President's hidden card.
"It is now more than clear that the President wants to extend his rule beyond the constitutional two terms," Mathira MP Rigathi Gachagua said.
He went on: "That is the reason he is assembling those small and tribal parties to execute a sinister motive on Kenyans."
However, there are concerns that as the succession battles take shape, Ruto is still regionally exposed as Uhuru firms up his grip on the Azimio coalition.
The Azimio machine is tipped to be the mother of all coalitions, with observers terming it the most powerful juggernauts after the Narc alliance that swept President Moi out of power in 2002.
Politicians and analysts have doubted the capacity of the ‘lightweights’ in Ruto’s camp to mount a successful counter offensive against powerful and influential bigwigs driving the Azimio juggernaut.
The DP, who was on Sunday formally kicked out as Jubilee’s deputy leader, lacks influential regional kingpins and enjoys the support of only Musalia Mudavadi (ANC) and Moses Wetang'ula (Ford Kenya) among the country’s big guns.
On Sunday, former Kajiado West MP Moses Ole Sakuda told the Star that the emerging Azimio movement will sweep Kenya Kwanza out of the country’s political arena.
“If you look at the kind of leaders that were at KICC and Kasarani on Saturday, Ruto has no chance of overpowering the Azimio machine,” the Uhuru ally said.
The ex-lawmaker said part of Ruto’s undoing in his battle against Raila is the fact that he is surrounded by “inexperienced and abusive” politicians who have no respect for elders.
“The journey to burying Kenya Kwanza was launched on Saturday and in the next few weeks, nobody will be talking about Ruto and his team,” he said.
The Azimio bigwigs are expected to roll out aggressive countrywide tours in the next two weeks before a final rally in Nairobi where the State House line up will be unveiled.
Uhuru is expected to lead the charge with Raila and more than a dozen party leaders among them influential governors in a bid to market the new formation and reverse Ruto’s gains.
The other parties backing Azimio include Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua (Chap Chap), West Pokot county boss John Lonyangapuo (KUP), Kilifi boss Amason Kingi’s (PAA) and Makueni Governor Kivutha Kibwana’s Muungano party.
Kitui Governor Charity Ngilu’s Narc and Eugene Wamalwa-linked DAP-K, and Oka of Baringo senator Gideon Moi of Kanu, Wiper, Narc Kenya’s Martha Karua, Cyrus Jirongo’s UDM are also in the group.
Unlike the Azimio movement that is working with small parties, Ruto’s camp took a firm position against the United Democratic Alliance entering into any coalition with fringe outfits.
There are concerns that Ruto’s opposition to regional parties outside Western Kenya could have jolted key regional leaders now aggressively popularising the Azimio movement.
“Ruto had shot himself in the foot when he insisted that people fold up their parties and join UDA,” said Tongaren MP Eseli Simiyu.
The secretary general of the newly formed Democratic Action Party of Kenya maintained that the DP’s camp has no political muscle to counter Azimio.
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