The rumor about former President Uhuru Kenyatta coming back to active politics is trailed by him making another headline. Talking to his loyalists in a meeting, Uhuru intimated that he wished to “amend the errors of 2022” and to show again to be a main character in the country’s political arena.
Such a statement has been met with equal amounts of excitement and tension. His proponents see it as an opportunity to bring back the political values of unity and tranquility, which were, to some extent, a feature of his tenure. On the other hand, his opponents view it as the possible reopening of the feud and the divisions that characterized the last election cycle.
Uhuru’s action may have a significant impact on political alliances. President William Ruto’s team, which has been able to extract and solidify a lot of power, would however be at the risk to lose it if Kenyatta is making a comeback. The Kenyatta-Ruto politics roller coaster will be very intriguing.
His political comeback is timed such that there is a lot of public anger over the cost of living, taxes, and poor governance – points which are a politician’s feast. On the other hand, the sceptics of the move argue that it is rather a strategic repositioning behind the scenes rather than an actual political comeback.
The average Kenyan might be wondering if Kenyans want to see the old players coming back to the scene or rather new faces? It will be up to the next several months to reveal to the former president if his promise to “correct the past mistakes” will be the dawn of a new political era or just another recycled chapter.”
