Joab Apollo, Nairobi
Following the nullification of the Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) Bill, 2020, the brainchild of President Uhuru Kenyatta and his foe-turned-ally Raila Odinga by the high court a fortnight ago, the duo have launched an all-out political and economic war to recover lost ground.
While Odinga has hit the ground running meeting supporters, Uhuru is launching and rolling out multibillion development projects, sending their political and Human rights detractors to the drawing board.
Last week, under the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI), a political process birthed ostensibly to address long-standing ethnic issues and economic inequalities in the East African country, they announced a vicious appeal against the watershed High Court ruling to be spearheaded by prominent lawyers, majority of whom successfully argued for the famous nullification of Uhuru’s 2017 presidential election.
Last week, President Uhuru presided over the operationalization of the much-touted multi-million berth seaport at the Lamu Port, a projected expected to create jobs as well as revamp the economy of the coastal regon of Kenya. On Monday 23rd May, Uhuru reopened the Kenya Meat Commission (KMC) factory in Athi River, after decades in limbo.
“As a key stakeholder and consumer of KMC, the stewardship provided by the Ministry of Defense provided the commission with economies of scale, predictable product demand, better focus on efficiency and diversification of its product lines” Uhuru said of the factory which will now be run by the Kenya’s Ministry of Defense.
This week, Uhuru is set to launch a sports complex, a port, modern markets, a causeway at Odinga’s home region of Nyanza, seen as a charm offensive in a region that previously opposed his presidency. The president will then celebrate the Mashujaa Day fete at the Lakeside city of Kisumu.
On Monday 23rd May, 2022, Odinga visited the city to lay ground for the much-talked about presidential visit, wowing residents with his political slogans. He told the enthusiastic crowds that “Reggae is back”, in reference to the initiative to amend the Kenyan constitution. BBI supporters often play Lucky Dube’s internationally aclaimed “No body can stop Reggae ” song to work up their crowds and send a message to their opponents that they are just not about to stop their initiative.
The latest onslaught by Uhuru and Raila comes in the wake of a string of losses by the president in his home county of Kiambu in by-elections won by allies of his ally-turned enemy, Deputy President William Ruto
Photo: Raila Odinga in Kisumu
