When President Uhuru Kenyatta keeps on dissuading politicians especially those in Jubilee against politicking about 2022 succession, very few people perhaps pause to think seriously why this topic seems to nauseate him every time it is mentioned.
Even though Uhuru may want us to believe that he discourages elected leaders from politicking around this topic in order to concentrate on developmental issues, prevailing circumstances in the political sphere can clearly tell you that the topic is a serious headache to him.
It is something he would rather not think or hear being talked about due to the tough options he is faced with especially in naming his deputy William Ruto as his preferred successor come 2022.
Below, we enumerate the limited options Uhuru has and why each is a potential cause of headache to him.
1. Support Ruto's presidential bid and risk the collapse of the elusive Building Bridges Initiative
Uhuru has the option of honouring his earlier promise to Ruto that he would support his 2022 presidential bid and even act as his campaign manager.
This is, however, easier said than done when it comes to Uhuru because he will have an uphill task convincing opposition supporters that he was serious with the Building Bridges Initiative.
One can almost predict with 100 per cent certainty that if Uhuru goes for this option, the country will slide back to the pre-handshake period.
2. Support another candidate other than Ruto and risk the consequences of political betrayal
Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen was last weekend during a funeral in Bomet quoted warning Uhuru that 'it will not be easy as he thinks' to go against the political deal they had with Ruto.
I need not say further or try to explain what he perhaps meant by this statement because I could be damn wrong or right.
3. Play neutral and risk accusations of being non-committal to his earlier promises to Ruto
Finally, Uhuru has the option of exiting State House silently leaving the best candidate to succeed him.
But as noted above, he will be accused right, left and centre of acting lukewarm in regard to all his public promises and pledges of supporting Ruto which he was very vocal about during his first term and re-election campaigns.
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