New details have emerged on President Uhuru Kenyatta's potential plans after the next general election in 2022, with Central Organization of Trade Unions (COTU) boss Francis Atwoli and Jubilee Party Vice-Chair David Murathe shedding light on the matter.
Speaking to reporters, Atwoli revealed his strong belief that Uhuru would be in a key position of influence after 2022, noting, however, that he would not remain as President.
"I predicted that Uhuru will be here after 2022 and, trust me, he is going nowhere. He will be here, but not as President.
"He will be in a different role. I am close to Raila (Odinga - ODM leader) and Gideon (Moi - KANU leader). Just like Uhuru, Raila and Gideon mean well for this country. They want to leave a lasting legacy for Kenyans."
Alluding to a possible alliance between Uhuru, Raila and Gideon, Atwoli maintained that Deputy President William Ruto would have to accept that Uhuru was going nowhere.
"When you see me, you see Gideon because he is my chairman in the Kenya African National Union (KANU).
"The moment DP Ruto accommodates in his thinking that Uhuru will be here to play a key political role after 2022, the better for him," Atwoli stated.
Atwoli also spoke on his close personal relationship with the President, stating that Uhuru was scheduled to attend this year's labour day celebrations but the plans were affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
"I am very close to the President. We relate well on politics and the economy. He is the one who wrote the forward to my book, Fame, Force and Fury. I did not tell him what to write but he did it himself.
"He has known me for years. I don't talk to him every day and he might be close to some of his CS's but we are close.
"He is the only President who gave workers and 18% increase when he came into power. He had indeed confirmed he would be the Guest of Honour during the Labour Day Celebrations, but the Coronavirus disease has complicated matters," Atwoli noted.
Alongside Murathe, Atwoli has been seen in some quarters as delivering strong political messages that the president would rather not state himself.
Murathe, who made a dramatic return to Jubilee Party headquarters after Uhuru rejected his resignation, has also previously maintained that Uhuru will be a part of the country's political set-up after 2022.
"The constitution bars him from vying for the Presidency after his second term but does not in any way bar him from seeking another position.
"As Jubilee leader, he can assume another position in a different political dispensation," Murathe had stated.
Considered one of Uhuru's close confidantes, Murathe has supported Uhuru since the general election in 2002 and has been vocal in his criticism of Ruto.
A push by Ruto against changes to the National Management Committee (NMC) of Jubilee was met with criticism from Murathe who insisted that the changes could not be reversed.
After 146 MPs allied to Ruto wrote to the Registrar of Political Parties over the matter, Murathe advised Ruto to take up the matter with Uhuru himself instead of going after Party Secretary-General Raphael Tuju.
