This archive report was first published on 14 July 2019.
Published on July 14, 2019, Senator Johnson Sakaja's surprise lunch date with ODM leader Raila Odinga at Burma Market has left tongues wagging in the corridors of power.
The meeting has sparked speculation that Sakaja is seeking the indulgence of the opposition leader's camp ahead of the 2022 polls.
It is worth noting that Raila Odinga hit out at members of the Tanga Tanga movement after the lunch, urging Kenyans to prepare for a political battle between those who want a united and prosperous nation and those out to keep the country in a state of corruption and division.
According to pundits, Sakaja used the reunion to drum up support for his 2022 gubernatorial ambition, where he has vowed to take the battle to the inner chambers of incumbent Mike Sonko.
However, Sonko has hinted at not running for a second term, leaving the field open for Sakaja and other hopefuls.
Notably, Sakaja joins a list of politicians who have strategically aligned themselves to the handshake ahead of the 2022 polls.
As a face of sanity in the midst of politics of sycophancy, Sakaja caused a storm within Jubilee when he condemned the arrest of Embakasi East MP Paul Ongili alias Babu Owino for allegedly disrespecting the president and assaulting a security guard.
With Owino facing charges against insulting the president, only Sakaja from the Jubilee wing came to his defense, saying, "Whoever is trying to use the criminal justice system to score whichever goals, should stop. And if you are in the police force and you think by doing this you are helping Jubilee, you are not."
The presence of Makadara MP George Aladwa also cements the deal to unseat Sonko in 2022, as Aladwa has already declared he is preparing to battle other hopefuls in the race to unseat Sonko.
It is worth noting that the law requires a governorship candidate to hold a degree, and Aladwa is currently undertaking a diploma at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology and a degree at Kenya Methodist University concurrently.
