Good morning fellow Kenyans,
Apparently, coronavirus is here to stay with us and so is the shenanigans surrounding Jubilee Party.
The party politics have now shifted to regional supremacy battles, most notably, the GEMA (Gikuyu Embu Meru Association) nation being the main focus of discussion in the last few days.
Led by Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria, the Tanga Tanga faction argue that the region’s populace will not be ‘whipped’ to support an unpopular candidate, read ODM chief Raila Odinga.
Kuria asserts that it is the high time Mount Kenya region pays her debts and supports a candidate outside the region without coercion from anyone.
Political analyst Mutahi Ngunyi escalated the debate further after he suggested that the region could be suffering from ‘Herd Stupidity’ if they choose to vote for DP William Ruto. The tweet was so controversial that the vocal analyst was forced to delete it within minutes, but of course, the damage had already been done.
With President Uhuru Kenyatta still tight-lipped on where his allegiance for the 2022 presidential election lies, GEMA is set to be split in the middle for the first time since the first multi-party elections in 1992. This will be fueled further by a looming removal of Tharaka Nithi senator Kithure Kindiki from his senate deputy speaker role after a motion for his sack was filed on Tuesday.
Elsewhere, the impasse between Kenya and Tanzania seems to be soaring with both nations trying to outdo each other as the effects of COVID-19 continue to bite harder.
Even as cases in Kenya surge, the biggest threat now remains to be truck drivers with 182 foreigners forced to return to Tanzania after testing positive for the deadly virus.
Tanzania authorities have now reacted angrily with Kenyan drivers, even if negative, denied entry into the country.
The country has not been announcing any case of coronavirus data since April 28 under the orders of President John Pombe Magufuli.
Here are our top stories this morning:
Raila Succeeds in his Revenge Against Uhuru
ODM supremo Raila Odinga seems to be getting the upper hand in his political one-upmanship game with Deputy President William Ruto.
Raila has the potential to gain a foothold in Uhuru Kenyatta’s Mt Kenya turf. It is a constituency in which Ruto has invested heavily—politically and financially.
Sonko Fights Court Orders Freezing His 10 Bank Accounts Holding Sh18 Million
Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko has moved to court to challenge orders freezing 10 of his bank accounts holding Sh18 million.
Justice Luka Kimaru issued the freeze orders on February 6, which Sonko now claims amount to abuse of the court process.
Uhuru, Raila Focus on Reform Teams in BBI Process
President Uhuru Kenyatta and Opposition chief Raila Odinga’s focus has shifted to a number of crucial House committees which will play a central role in the passage of BBI recommendations.
Both ODM and the ruling party Jubilee have mapped out three reform-relevant committees and have agreed to have only loyal lieutenants to enable smooth sailing of some of the recommendations that will not require a referendum.
Residents of Mt. Kenya East (Meru, Tharaka Nithi) and Embu counties have always been siding with the larger Kikuyu community when it comes to national politics and voting patterns. However, there has been a growing voice of dissent especially from Meru and Tharaka Nithi with more people leaning towards the DP Ruto camp. Do you think the ouster of Kindiki, a close ally of the DP, will be consequential to sway more people his way?