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Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga yesterday held a session with influential business leaders from Mt Kenya who have vowed to rally behind him to succeed President Uhuru Kenyatta next year.

The tycoons and other powerful figures under the Mount Kenya Foundation, chaired by Equity Bank founder Peter Munga, yesterday hosted the former premier at Safari Park Hotel for a second time this month where he was given the opportunity to sell his agenda.

Through foundation’s vice-chairman Titus Ibui, the group stated that it would equally invite Wiper boss Kalonzo Musyoka, Amani National Congress’s Musalia Mudavadi, Bungoma senator Moses Wetangula and his Baringo counterpart Gideon Moi this Friday to also market themselves, however most of the billionaires and political leaders present could barely disguise the fact that they had settled on Raila.

Raila has also been invited for the One Kenya Alliance (OKA) session on Friday.

President Uhuru Kenyatta’s hand in the event, which was also attended by four governors and 13 MPs from the region, was demonstrated by the presences of his uncle George Muhoho, who is a member of the foundation, as well as his close allies such as former Kenya Electricity Generating (KenGen) chief executive Eddy Njoroge, Thika Coffee Mills boss Pius Ngugi, media mogul SK Macharia, former Britam managing director Benson Wairegi and Gender commissioner Priscilla Nyokabi.

Strong credentials 

Governors Francis Kimemia (Nyandarua), Lee Kinyanjui (Nakuru), Ndiritu Mureithi (Laikipia) and James Nyoro (Kiambu) and the 13 MPs allied to Uhuru also attended what appeared to be a Raila coronation meeting.

Raila drew from his experience and development record during the Grand Coalition government with retired President Mwai Kibaki to demonstrate that he had strong credentials for the presidency.

He promised to focus on boosting agriculture by borrowing and implementing best farming practices, marketing and value addition, assisting small and medium enterprises, which are the region’s economic mainstay.

“Most of the issues that have been raised here I have addressed in my weekly policy statements.

They will be included in my manifesto once they are discussed and agreed,” Raila told the packed conference room.

 “The local economy was killed for 24 years, and when we came with Kibaki, we found a bankrupt Treasury.

Only Sh300 billion was being collected. We kicked out corrupt people and the figure rose to Sh350 billion, Sh750 billion and Sh1 trillion.”

The leaders had raised issues of incentives to boost small and medium size businesses, unemployment mostly among the youth, farming, health, education, peace and stability, water connection, equal representation and equitable revenue distribution which he promised to address. 

Ibui, who early this month hosted Raila for another meeting with leaders from the Meru community, revealed that the foundation had planned another meeting between Raila and governors and a different one between him and lawmakers from the region, which Kieni MP Kanini Kega said they have already agreed on the date.

Ibui, who hails from Meru, is the chairman of the Kenya Leather Development Council Board.

Both Munga and Ibui suggested that Mt Kenya billionaires and figures that have been critical in shaping the region’s political course, and who Raila has been reaching out to, had agreed to support the former premier in his bid, saying his “grand entry to Mount Kenya on Monday had given them the confidence”.

“We want to congratulate you for the triumphant entry to the land of milk and honey, which is the Mt Kenya region.

Nobody thought that you would climb the mountain without slipping. You do not have to look for the followers, they will come to you if you inspire them,” Munga said.

Mobilise voters 

Ibui said: “We thought that Mt Kenya would have been slippery to climb but from what we saw yesterday, we are happy. The entry that you made has given us confidence.

After sitting down with all the presidential candidates, we will sit down and evaluate them, and the person who will fit the character of the person we would want to be the president, we will recommend that to the President.”

Dennis Waweru, who was a co-chair of the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) secretariat and who is among those planning Raila’s tours in the region, said while all elected leaders in the region are welcome to sell the former premier, they should not appear to use his penetration into the region for their own political gain.

“We want all the leaders from the region to unite and rally behind Raila, but we also want them to make it easy for him by letting him meet and talk to the people directly.

They should not appear to ride on him but instead mobilise in their respective backyards,” Waweru said.

Kimemia, who chairs the Mt Kenya Economic Bloc, said they are working on uniting leaders from Mt Kenya East and central Kenya, and also revealed that the President had given them the blessing to sell Raila in Mt Kenya, saying “we are grateful to President Uhuru for allowing his succession to be discussed one year while he still he is office”.