Raila-Wanjigi meeting raises eyebrows

Azimio leader Raila Odinga yesterday met billionaire businessman Jimmy Wanjigi in a private two-hour meeting at a Nairobi hotel, fuelling murmurs that a new political deal between the duo could be in the offing.

The duo did not address journalists who had camped at the Norfolk Hotel, but contacted later, Wanjigi told People Daily that they discussed matters of national importance.

“We discussed several issues but more importantly matters of national interest with the Azimio leader in our meeting that went very well,” Wanjigi said.

Raila who was not accompanied by any of his allies declined to speak to journalists about the contents of their discussion.

According to a source who declined to be named, Wanjigi is seeking to join forces with Raila in piling pressure to the Kenya Kwanza administration to drop the high taxation that he claimed is unbearable to Kenyans.

Wanjigi has constantly criticised the Kenya Kwanza government over high taxation and continued external borrowing.

On Friday last week, he warned President William Ruto of a possible revolt by Kenyans against his government over high taxation and the Executive’s punitive policies that are suffocating livelihoods.

The business magnate said it was time the government pays attention to Kenyans or faced countrywide protests against the punitive tax regime.

Wanjigi spoke while attending the burial of Safina party Secretary General John Dominic Wamagata at the PCEA Mama Ngina grounds in Kikuyu Constituency, Kiambu county.

“Mjue wanannchi wanaumia, na kama hamtarekebishe….msicheze na wananchi. Sisi sio panya ya kukanyaga…sisi ni binadamu,” he said.

“Hamuwezi kila siku mnaamka mnatuumiza, na ni watu wa hapa ambao wanaumia zaidi…na watu wa hapa ndio waliweka nyinyi. January 2024 mumepatiwa the truth, mko na miezi tatu, kama hamtabadilisha hii mwenendo…haya.”

The businessman has also been vocal on the huge external debts Kenya is having. He has claimed that the government should not repay the debt which has since exceeded the Sh9 trillion mark.

He has termed the country’s ballooning debt as an “odious” debt, noting that it was unlawfully accumulated by the previous regime of former President Uhuru Kenyatta.

According to Wanjigi, President William Ruto should decline to repay the debt to allow for an inquiry which he says would ascertain that indeed Kenya owes no one any debt.

“This debt is not legal or lawful and whatever is not lawful we are not as a sovereign bound to pay and our calculations are correct, we are owed as Kenyans Sh1.3 trillion credit; we don’t owe anybody,” he said recently.

The former presidential aspirant argues that most of the loans the government has borrowed both locally and internationally have been mismanaged by top officials while the repayment falls back to taxpayers who do not benefit from them.

Wanjigi went on to cite the infamous Eurobonds, citing that no single tangible project can be attributed to the Eurobond which is considered one of the most burdensome credit facilities Kenya has accumulated.

Wanjigi, described as an influential political power broker due to his financial muscle, has recently announced his support for Raila’s threat to call for new street protests to compel President Ruto to deal with the rising cost of living.

“I support Raila calling for anti-government protests. We are not rats to be trampled on. We seem to have a government that is not listening,” he said at a political gathering in the Mount Kenya region.

The businessman-cum-politician fell out with Raila in 2018 after the Uhuru Park mock swearing-in. The two were once close friends and political allies, a trait that saw Wanjigi actively take part in Raila’s 2017 campaigns.

Wanjigi alleged in a past media interview that Raila went into the March 9, 2018 handshake with Uhuru without the knowledge of his closest allies.

Wanjigi’s pronouncement calling out the government comes after Raila, in his New Year’s address, challenged President Ruto to listen to Kenyans’ struggles and bring down the cost of living, asking supporters to prepare for new protests.

Political analyst Mark Bichachi has described the meeting as part of a concerted effort by those against the Kenya Kwanza government to work together in ensuring that Ruto becomes a one-term president.

“The opposition has realised that working together and removing Ruto from power is more significant than their interests. Expect more forces joining Raila in opposing the government,” said Bichachi.