As Deputy President Ruto suggested during the national prayer breakfast function, controversial MP Moses Kuria is in the Jubilee team for IEBC talks. It's not by chance nor surprise for him to appear here in the list. The question is how and why?
Kuria's name popped up on Thursday in an 11-member team for the talks that are geared to solve the IEBC impasse and avert any further demonstrations from the opposition. Kuria is well known among his peers, the nation as a whole and even in the power circles as one of the most avid and staunch supporters of the Jubilee administration. The top two insisted on him being in the team to ensure that a level of zeal coupled with passion was maintained in the talks, as well as countering the towering match in the Cord team, Johnstone Muthama. They as well have identical traits when it comes to unwavering support to their coalition.
Kuria is never afraid to speak his mind and has lately been on the spotlight for his harsh criticism of the protests. He is the Kenyan version of Donald Trump and will say anything to anyone, anywhere. He has once said that the police budget needed to be raised to get in more teargas and weapons to deal with anti-IEBC protests. He did not hesitate to spew bile, saying that the protesters had to be forcefully dealt with, and that police needed to protect themselves and property. This showed the levels the legislator could go to speak out his mind.
It is thus in this regard that the president saw it fit to fix Kuria on the committee. There had to be a balance on both sides, if not Jubilee winning through Kuria's unflinching support and loyalty exhibited in the hard stances he takes. Everybody always knows what expectations to put in Kuria just like Muthama. He will be the chief priest, the hardliner, the undertaker, whose sole role will be to ensure neither shortchanging nor arm-twisting is done to the government by the Cord counterparts.
These talks are really going to be dramatic. One can only sit and wait to see the backlash between Muthama and Jubilee's strongman Moses Kuria.