This archive report was first published on 12 July 2020.
BBI's Presidential Front Runners: Raila, Uhuru, and Peter Kenneth ¶
Political commentator Herman Manyora has claimed that the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) is marketing Peter Kenneth as a father figure for the people of Mount Kenya region.
According to Manyora, President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga are likely to be fronted for presidency in 2022 by the BBI brigade.
Manyora observed that the game plan to decide who will be Kenya's fifth president is taking into consideration that it may be very difficult for the country to elect another commander-in-chief from the Kikuyu community.
He said the BBI brigade is cleverly marketing three possible candidates - Raila, Peter Kenneth, and Uhuru - as a package.
Manyora urged Deputy President William Ruto to consider votes from Mount Kenya region as a bonus and not a major stake in his arithmetic if he envisions to trounce the 2022 presidential race.
He said Ruto had for a long time enjoyed overwhelming support from clergy from Mount Kenya region, but his fortunes have been reducing every day.
Manyora said, "2022 will be a boardroom decision. There is going to be consensus democracy where those in the BBI will share the spoils. It may not be good for democracy...but that is what will happen. If it will stabilise the country... I may not have a problem with it,"
Manyora said Peter Kenneth emerged top on the list citing his latest association with top leaders in the country.
He said Uhuru could be using the former lawmaker to sell BBI in Mount Kenya region, and also as a form of assurance that the region will have high representation in the next government even if it will not capture presidency.
Manyora said, "If Uhuru wants to sell the BBI in his backyard, he must convince the Mount Kenya region that they will be there (in power). He may not go for the presidency because it will be very difficult to sell another Kikuyu president in the country. They will want someone senior there."
He added, "Uhuru might go for it but he will be backtracking on his words that he will be vacating office soon after the expiry of his tenure. The civil society, progressive forces and international community will go for him if he will want to directly get close to power again,"
Manyora said allies of Uhuru and Raila were hell-bent to clearing support of Deputy President William Ruto from the vote-rich Mount Kenya region.
He said, "Anybody who has been keen might have observed that about two years ago, Mount Kenya used to belong to William Ruto. But the recent developments indicate that the remnants of Ruto are being mopped up. This must open the eyes of Ruto. He must now see clearly that when he is doing his votes arithmetics, let Mount Kenya be a bonus. He will have gotten it wrong if he makes Mount Kenya as a major component of his 2022 strategy. The mountain is slipping away him,"
