By Billy Mijungu
We all pretend otherwise, but deep down, Kenya has an obsession with the Mount Kenya presidency. Time and again, directly or inadvertently, our political maneuvering gravitates toward placing someone from Mount Kenya at the very top.
At independence, Oginga Odinga was effectively handed the presidency by the British. Yet he sensed a trap. He feared Tom Mboya would charm Parliament into electing him Prime Minister, a position that later morphed into the presidency when Kenya became a republic. Driven by suspicion, rivalry, and jealousy, Oginga and Mboya compromised not on principle, but on convenience, settling on Jomo Kenyatta. That moment set a pattern: distrust among reformists but comfort in Mount Kenya power.
Moi came next, an accidental president by most accounts. Yet even as he exited in 2002, he searched desperately for a Mount Kenya successor. He settled on Uhuru Kenyatta. On the other side, Raila Odinga and his allies went into overdrive and ultimately installed Mwai Kibaki. Once again, the Luo community invested political capital and once again, they watched dust rise behind them.
When Kibaki exited, the entire country conspired to retain power within Mount Kenya. Uhuru Kenyatta, burdened with cases at The Hague and armed with no clear national plan beyond self-preservation, was packaged and sold. An unholy alliance with William Ruto sealed the deal. The country suspended logic, morality, and accountability to protect the Mount Kenya presidency.
In 2022, Uhuru attempted to anoint Raila Odinga but never fully committed to the campaign. William Ruto, arguably the most surprised man on inauguration day, became president. Prepared or not, he wanted it the most and politics rewards hunger, not readiness.
But Ruto is not planning for 2027. He is planning for 2032. Win or lose, his eyes are on succession. Those negotiating with him today are stuck in 2027. The real game is positioning for a transition presidency in 2032. And this is where the tragedy deepens. Instead of positioning ODM and the Luo community strategically, Oburu Odinga is quietly aligning with Ruto to midwife a Kindiki presidency. Retain the deputy slot long enough and the presidency follows early in the morning.
So tell me, don’t we just love Mount Kenya presidencies?
