This archive report was first published on 1 July 2020.
Season of Political Maneuvering as Rivals Jostle for BBI Posts ¶
Published on July 1, 2020
As President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga await the final Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) report, politicians are angling for top posts in earnest.
According to analysts, the jostling is a result of the anticipated expansion of the Executive, with slight adjustments to the initial report.
Political analyst Herman Manyora notes that the 2022 succession politics will be centered around boardroom negotiations, with the government being shared out among regions and big tribes.
"The 2022 contest will be about boardroom negotiations. Government will be shared out and anybody telling you otherwise is lying to you," Mr Manyora says.
With the BBI steering committee settling for an Executive office of a President and a deputy, as well as a Prime Minister with two deputies, the seven positions are likely to be highly contested.
Regional kingpins are positioning themselves for the top posts, with Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka signing a post-election cooperation deal with Jubilee and promising to ratify a coalition deal with President Kenyatta's party.
Kitui Governor Charity Ngilu is facing an ouster motion in the Wiper-dominated Assembly, with pundits seeing Mr Musyoka's hand in the plot to clip Ms Ngilu's wings and have her play second fiddle in Ukambani politics.
Other regions, including Western, Mount Kenya, and the Coast, are also witnessing intense political maneuvering as leaders vie for top posts.
Political observer Beauttah Omanga notes that Nyanza is the only region certain of its political supremo, with Raila Odinga still having a say and no opponent so far.
