Uhuru Summons OKA Principals Over Raila Furore

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Former President Uhuru Kenyatta and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga officially open the 48km Ngong-Kiserian-Isinya and the 43km Kajiado-Imaroro roads in Kajiado County in May 2021.
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President Uhuru Kenyatta has summoned former National Super Alliance (NASA) co-principals, a day after they held parallel meetings in Nakuru County, in what has been greatly viewed as a show of might. 

Uhuru's party, Jubilee, wrote to One Kenya Alliance leaders - Musalia Mudavadi (Amani National Congress), Kalonzo Musyoka (Wiper), Moses Wetangula (Ford-Kenya) and Gideon Moi (Kanu) - asking them to meet the President in Mombasa on Wednesday, August 18.

The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader, Raila Odinga, will also be part of the meeting in which the President is expected to unify them even as he tries to drum up support for Odinga to succeed him in 2022.

All the leaders were, however, asked to attend the meeting on their own volition and in honour of Uhuru's dream to unite the divided nation ahead of the next year's General Election. 

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Raila meets business leaders from Kiambu County at the home of James Anthony Kariuki Nginyo, on August 12, 2021
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"Uhuru organised the meeting slated for today (Wednesday) with OKA leaders and Raila, to discuss how they have planned themselves in regards to his succession race," insiders detailed. 

The meeting comes nearly a week after Uhuru met the leaders at State House, Mombasa and reportedly backed Raila as his candidate of choice. The decision caused unease among the other leaders who claimed to have lost trust in the former Prime Minister. 

Sources privy to the developments, nonetheless, argue that the uproar by OKA leaders is part of a well-oiled plan to convince anti-Uhuru politicians that the President's camp is divided. 

The plan entailed having one OKA leader as Raila's running mate in the upcoming polls. Senator Gideon Moi's decision to decline pulling Kanu out of a pact with Jubilee and to formally enter into an agreement with OKA, coupled with ODM move to form an alliance with Jubilee, has caused even more anxiety among the leaders.

Reports also indicate that OKA has on several occasions failed to agree on its flagbearer and has no clear roadmap despite all its leaders being quoted as saying the coalition has a ready blueprint.

“As the 'Great Rift Valley Declaration', we hereby unequivocally state that One Kenya Alliance will field a presidential candidate in next year’s General Election. And the fifth president is here," OKA said in a statement on Tuesday, August 17 after a meeting held in Nakuru's Naivasha area.

"Therefore, our vision and mission is to resuscitate Kenya's economy and hence, we require practical solutions to the economic challenges our people are grappling with. Empty narratives and sloganeering on economic models are not the antidote to our challenges."

Raila Odinga, while unveiling his national unity campaign on Tuesday, August 17 in Nakuru, stated that his plan was anchored on fostering peace and economic recovery. He insisted that the roadmap for the country dubbed "Azimio la Umoja" would ensure he takes Kenyans to the promised land. 

This was his clearest of indications that he will run for State House, a decision he has always remained tight-lipped about. 

"The journey we start today is intended to create the political and ideological unity that we require to confront the problems afflicting our people. We are coming together with a political and governance framework that ensures our economy works for each and every one of our citizens," Raila stated. 

One Kenya Alliance Principals during their meeting held in Nairobi on Wednesday July 20, 2021
One Kenya Alliance Principals during their meeting held in Nairobi on Wednesday, July 20, 2021
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