Former Raila Odinga chief agent, Saitabao Ole Kanchory, exposed wrangles between former ICT Cabinet Secretary Joe Mucheru and former Interior PS Karanja Kibicho over the control of the Azimio Command Center.
Kanchory detailed the intrigues in his book Why Baba is Not the 5th, released on Tuesday, April 11.
In the book, the lawyer claimed that the duo had a push and pull over controlling the secret command centre in Westlands equipped with technology and computers and financed by former President Uhuru Kenyatta's younger brother - Muhoho Kenyatta.
"Muhoho Kenyatta appeared genuine and seemed to mean well for Baba, but I shall never understand how such a brilliant person could be so easily fooled. To this day, I am unable to fully figure out this guy," he stated.
According to Raila's Chief agent, Kibicho, who was in charge at the centre, was a goal-oriented leader who worked with intel.
In the book, Kanchory expressed that the situation would have turned out differently had Kibicho continued overseeing the nerve centre of the Raila- led faction.
"Kibicho ensured we had clear targets and inspired confidence that we were moving in the right direction. A part of me still believes we might have fared better under KK's stewardship," the lawyer documented.
However, in the midst of the wrangles, changes were made to the leadership of the centre, with Mucheru's role becoming more predominant.
"With Kibicho effectively out of the way and Makau Mutua placed in the middle of a dysfunctional entity about which he knew nothing, Mucheru would take centre stage.
"All important matters relating to the command centre, including personnel and the often hefty dispatches, were now Mucheru's responsibility," he wrote.
Following the changes, he noted that decisions at the command centre were overseen by four people - Muhoho, Mucheru, Suna East MP Junet Mohamed and Raila Odinga Campaign Secretariat spokesperson Makau Mutua.
Kanchory revealed that he expressed concerns over the leadership of the former ICT CS to Azimio's top brass - concerns that fell on deaf ears.
The Hostile Takeover
In a move to salvage the turn of events a month before the August 9, 2022 polls, Kanchory divulged that he and Elizabeth Meyo - CEO of the Raila's campaign secretariat - planned a hostile takeover.
However, the move flopped after Mutua played down their concerns with Mucheru being allowed to continue playing a critical role at the Westlands centre.
"Personally, I had preferred to work with the likes of Raphael Tuju and Charity Ngilu, and I was never completely convinced about Mucheru's loyalty, commitment or competence.
"Professor Mutua quickly dismissed our concerns saying Mucheru and the Jubilee team were our partners and we had no choice but to trust them," he stated.
Only Limited to the Chosen Few
According to Kanchory, only a few people within the Azimio inner circle were allowed to the nerve centre. The centre occasionally hosted meetings where matters regarding the campaigns and the elections were made.
As detailed in the book, the centre was equipped with computers to help the team monitor and tabulate the presidential results from the polling stations.
