[President Uhuru Kenyatta in photo file. He temporarily quit politics after losing his bid in Gatundu South before making a comeback. Photo/Nation]
Despite his glittering political career, President Uhuru Kenyatta’s journey to national politics wasn’t an easy task if intrigues surrounding it are anything to go by.
Having been cleared by IEBC, Uhuru is set to encounter another epic battle with veteran politician and arguably the best politician of modern politics Raila Odinga, four years after facing each other in 2013.
Although he comes from a deeply rooted political family owing to the fact that his father Jomo Kenyatta was Kenya’s first president, Uhuru would venture into politics two decades later after the demise of his father.
“He is an easy going character and it was difficult to note that he was son of a president,” notes his cousin Ngengi Muigai a former Gatundu South MP who invited Uhuru to replace him upon his retire in 1997.
“He lost to Moses Muhia and actually quit politics to run his family business. He lost interest in it completely before President Daniel Moi giving him a life line,” added Ngengi, who inherited the Gatundu seat from Uhuru’s father.
And the young Kenyatta made a political comeback in 2001 after being nominated to parliament by KANU and subsequently endorsed as presidential flag bearer in which he lost to Mwai Kibaki despite wining Gatundu seat.
But before his election as president, Uhuru served as Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister during the grand coalition government where he acted as Odinga’s deputy.