OKA chiefs to discuss 2022 agenda with Central tycoons
The fight for close to eight million votes in Mt Kenya ahead of the next year’s General Elections continues today with the region’s billionaires under the powerful Mount Kenya Foundation (MKF) expected to host One Kenya Alliance (OKA) principals to a luncheon.
Organisers of the event say the meeting will give OKA chiefs an opportunity to market themselves to the business moguls.
Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, his Amani National Congress (ANC) counterpart Musalia Mudavadi, Bungoma Senator Moses Wetangula (Ford Kenya) and his Baringo colleague Gideon Moi (Kanu)will be at Safari Park Hotel today, 10 days after the foundation former Prime Minister and ODM leader Raila Odinga.
The meeting had been scheduled for Friday last week but the organisers pushed it to today.
Sources close to the four co-principals confirmed to People Daily that they would attend the forum where they are expected to explain how they will address issues affecting the region if elected.
Separately, Mudavadi said that he and his team would indeed the MKF leaders. “We shall meet them.
They invited us and we shall honour the invitation. All of us, including Senator Wetangula who is returning today from an official trip to the US will be present. We shall go and listen to them,” the ANC leader disclosed.
Elsewhere, Joe Murimi, the director of communications at the foundation confirmed that the meeting “was on as scheduled”, noting that the response to the invitations was positive, saying there were indications that the four leaders would be attending the occasion.
“The forum will take place tomorrow. We have planned well and we are ready to host the OKA principals,” Murimi said in a telephone interview.
Tycoons and other powerful figures of the outfit chaired by Equity Bank founder Peter Munga had also indicated that they would invite the former premier to attend the OKA meeting amid claims that they are on a mission to unite the leaders in favour of ODM boss’s candidature.
The meetings appear to have the blessings of President Uhuru Kenyatta, with his hand in it being demonstrated by the presences of his maternal uncle George Muhoho, who is a member of the foundation as well as his close allies such as former Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen) chief executive Eddy Njoroge, Thika Coffee Mills boss Pius Ngugi, media mogul SK Macharia, former Britam managing director Benson Wairegi as well as Gender and Equality commissioner Pricilla Nyokabi.
Before cancellation of the meeting last week, the ANC boss, who has maintained that his name will be on the ballot next year, had confirmed his attendance saying the hopes to convince the foundation members as well as voters in the region to back his bid.
Vet candidates
Kanu secretary general Nick Salat confirmed that OKA principals had received official invitations for the event and that they have purposed to attend.
“The invitation has been extended to us and so we will be part of it, but that will be subject to availability of our chairman (Gideon),” Salat said yesterday.
Foundation vice-chair Titus Ibui last week announced that they would vet all presidential candidates to enable them pick the best, but interestingly, they have isolated Deputy President William Ruto who has fallen out with his boss over the running of the government and succession politics.
