A few months before the disputed 2007 general elections, a few top political figures met and hatched a plan to stop opposition leader Raila Odinga, then a presidential front-runner from realizing his bid.
The team of six men and two women led by then just an MP President Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila’s running mate in the 2 previous elections Kalonzo Musyoka met at Uhuru’s Chancery Building private offices for deliberations.
This is according to according to former MP Joe Khamisi who was also present as part of the team entrusted with the secret of working against Raila.
The July 4, 2007 meeting also included Dalmas Otieno who would then join Raila’s Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party to win the Rongo seat, all with one plan, to stop Odinga.
The others were former MPs Nyiva Mwendwa, David Musila, Madsen Madoka and Taita lawmaker Naomi Shaaban.
In the meeting, both Uhuru and Kalonzo advocated for the formation of a third force to isolate Raila and weaken his ODM party, a plot that was fully accepted by Kalonzo, who even promised to bring on board his Ukambani bedrock leaders.
Uhuru, who was bitter with Raila over his ‘Kibaki Tosha’ campaign that had spoiled his presidential bid, was ready for anything that would stop the veteran leader from ascending to the Presidency, saying that he would victimize everyone once in power.
He cautioned that the ‘dictatorial’ Raila would ‘step on their heads’ once in power.
“Can you imagine what Raila will do to all of us? He will step all over the rest of us after he becomes president. We should not allow that to happen,’’ Khamisi said as is quoted by a Daily Nation publication dated April 2011.
The group would later have their way when Raila mysteriously lost to then sitting President Mwai Kibaki, Uhuru and Kalonzo ending up as Deputy Prime Minister and Vice President in a negotiated power-sharing deal that saw Raila take the powerful Premier seat.
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