Controversial lawmaker Simon Mbugua has waded into the 2022 presidential succession debate by warning opposition leader Raila Odinga that he is likely to be used and dumped by Jubilee.
The East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) legislator made the claims in a recent media interview.
“Wamekuwa wakikaa, kuna kitu inaitwa kaPutin, sasa wanasukuma governor aingilie ndiyo President atoke kuwa President akuwe Prime Minister, kama vile Putin alifanya kule Russia. Nataka nimwambie Raila usidanganywe, hapa umekuja kuwekwa box, upitishe katiba ukishapitisha katiba ya referendum, uende nyumbani tena.”
(They have been sitting and planning something coded ‘KaPutin’, now they are pushing governor (Mike Sonko) to be part of it so that President (Uhuru Kenyatta) leaves the Presidency (after the end of his term in 2022) the way (Russian President Vladimir Putin) did. But I want to tell Raila not to be deceived, they just want you to help them pass the referendum and then send you into retirement.)
The 65-year-old Putin has served as both President and Prime Minister of Russia.
President Kenyatta and opposition leader Odinga recently made peace and pledged to unite the country.
Consequently, Mr Odinga’s ODM party has been leading the push for a referendum to amend the constitution. Mbugua, meanwhile, is facing a court case for his reported role in the an occurrence in which former Nairobi Central Business District Association (NCBDA) chairman Timothy Muriuki was assaulted and robbed in broad daylight by goons.