The club of billionaires from Mt Kenya region yesterday threw their weight behind ODM leader Raila Odinga’s presidential bid and vowed to inject their financial muscle into his campaigns.

At a luncheon held at the Safari Park Hotel and attended by Raila, four Cabinet Secretaries and three Principal Secretaries, the tycoons who form the Mt Kenya Foundation vowed to mobilise their resources and reach out to other regions especially Ukambani and Maa-speaking counties, to back the veteran opposition leader.

Outlining their reasons for supporting Raila, the tycoons cited Deputy President William Ruto’s democratic credentials, anti-corruption record and his perceived high handed nature.

“We don’t feel safe in the hands of individuals with a history of looting public coffers, land grabbing and perpetuating the displacement of our people,” the group stated in a communiqué read out at the function by Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya.

They further accused the DP of turning the region’s economic problems into fodder for his presidential campaigns and disrespecting the community’s leaders.

“That the people of Mt Kenya have no confidence in sweet-talking people who want to take advantage of our problems and use them as fodder for electioneering without offering concrete solutions,” read the communiqué.

Yesterday’s event appeared choreographed to build momentum around Raila’s presidential campaign coming two days before he officially declares his candidature during the Azimio La Umoja rally at Kasarani Stadium tomorrow.

The endorsement was, however, downplayed by leaders allied to the One Kenya Alliance (OKA) comprising Amani National Congress leader Musalia Mudavadi, Wiper’s Kalonzo Musyoka, Ford Kenya leader Moses Wetang’ula and Kanu chairman Gideon Moi.

The tycoons previously hosted the OKA team as they shopped around for a candidate to back in next year’s election.

“We honoured the invitation from the Foundation to engage with them. As to how they settled on Raila, we don’t know. But that does not stop us from engaging with the populace in the region” said Kanu secretary general Nick Salat.

Ford Kenya national organising secretary Chris Mandu Mandu also poured cold water on the endorsement, saying it would not translate into votes.

“They may offer him financial resources but that does not necessarily mean votes,” he said.

At the luncheon, speaker after speaker extolled Raila’s virtues, saying he was best placed to protect the interests of the Mt Kenya region once President Uhuru Kenyatta retires.

They noted that the Azimio La Umoja movement, which Raila has been fronting, seeks to address key issues affecting the region and the country, and is an “articulation of the future we desire as a region as it guarantees peace and safety of our people, property, businesses, land”.

Uhuru’s blessings
“We have no confidence and reject people who proclaim themselves to be our leaders without consulting us and who want to impose leaders on us just like the colonialists once did,” the group stated in the communiqué.
“Consequently, we commit to work with Raila, we cannot imagine a country where looters are in charge,” Munya added.

They noted that through the Azimio La Umoja movement, Raila had demonstrated willingness to address the community’s interests, secure peace and economy and safeguard public resources from plunder.

The Foundation’s vice-chairman Titus Ibui said the group’s endorsement was the culmination of a careful examination of all those aspiring to lead the country including the OKA leaders.

“Today is a culmination of the consultations that have been going on because Raila started an initiative with the blessing of the President which is the Azimo La Umoja. We are here to agree that we will be in the Azimo La Umoja and we will march to Kasarani to witness the launch,” said Ibui.

Pius Ngugi, the proprietor of Thika Coffee Mills and who was among the billionaires who addressed the meeting, said they had full confidence in Raila and were ready to fund his campaign because they believe that in him “the country is in safe hands”.

Maa community
“Today is the beginning of making a commitment and if you will have to sell your cow so that we get to where we want to go, please do it. I will sell my rabbits. Let’s not gamble,” the businessman who also runs a macadamia processing plant, said.

The Foundation’s chairman, Peter Munga, introduced Raila as “the forthcoming president of the Republic of Kenya”, and said they will host leaders from Ukambani region and the Maa community and rally them behind his candidature.

“We recently hosted people from the North Eastern region. They live around Mt Kenya and, therefore, they are part of us. We will also invite the Maa community so that when we go to vote and we agree it’s Raila we should vote for. We will also call people from Mt Kenya South. You know in GEMA, A represents Akamba. They are our in-laws,” he said.

Among issues the region wants addressed include equal representation and equity in revenue sharing as well as government appointments, increase of devolved funds, ensuring that all the people who were displaced during the 2007 post election chaos are settled, commitment to support and invest in agricultural productivity, particularly regarding tea, coffee, and milk.

Raila promised to tackle the issues of fair representation and revenue sharing, fight corruption, improve agriculture which is the region’s economic mainstay, infrastructure and industries as well as continue

Uhuru’s projects.
“We will clear corruption in the public sector. We will also address the issues that are scaring away investors which include graft and bureaucracy that frustrate them whenever they want to start ventures in our country as well as poor operating environment. We will ensure tea, coffee, pyrethrum, horticulture and other crop farmers are a happy lot,” he said.

Former Molo MP Njenga Mungai enumerated Raila’s struggles that saw him detained, ranging from the fight for multiparty democracy and the fight for a new constitution as he tried to better the country.

“Why have you sacrificed all that long? It is because you carry a dream for this nation. We as the people of Mt Kenya region and diaspora have found that out of the people who want to be president, you are the only man who carries a dream for this country and that is why you suffered,” he said.

Uhuru’s hand in the event was demonstrated by the presence of CSs including Munya, Sicily Kariuki (Water), Joe Mucheru (ICT), Margaret Kobia (Gender) and Principal Secretaries Karanja Kibicho (Interior), Joseph Njoroge (Transport) and Nicholas Muraguri (Lands) and a host of Chief Administrative Secretaries.

Governors present included Martin Wambora (Embu), Francis Kimemia (Nyandarua), Lee Kinyanjui (Nakuru) and James Nyoro (Kiambu) as well as former presidential candidate Peter Kenneth

National Assembly Majority Leader Amos Kimunya told Raila that “time is now ripe for you to declare your candidature”, hinting that Parliament would pass laws tailored towards facilitating the Azimo La Umoja cause.