A New Premium Summit & Strategy By Gema Must Be Crafted After The Failed Limuru 3
The Mt Kenya Times 
By: William Waithaka Wangui
To coin the counsel by President Abram Lincoln, “Given six hours to cut a tree, I would use four hours to sharpen the axe and two hours felling the tree”, the byproduct of the Limuru 3 Summit was a half-baked, poorly planned and lacked the strategic timing and packaging requisite to convene the highest GEMA community conference summit.
The hurriedly and ill-timed executed Limuru 3 conference fell short of its predecessor conferences of Limuru’s 1 and 2.
The need for a populist convenience is indicative of hasty and desperate power brokerage at play.
Why this, firstly, many in the political class of the region were not at all involved in the thinking, strategizing, planning, mobilizing, publicizing, attending and execution of the meeting.
Many in the class shied away, with a few brave ones giving their views on what were the reasons of abstaining from the forum. Peter Kenneth views were echoed by many others with more or less being resonated by Jimmy Wanjigi.
It’s sad that what Limuru 3 achieved was widening the rifts of divisions that are inherent in the current GEMA community political standing. The outcome was division, confusion and an accelerated sense of insatiable hopelessness amongst those whipped to attend.
It came out as an attempt to arm-twist the political class from the region towards a knee jerk reactory move against the KK regime.
LIMURU SUMMITS RECAP
As has been, the history and outcomes of previous Limuru forums are to pacify, Rejuvenate, Unite and give Political Direction to the GEMA Community. On the entire above, Limuru 3 fell short as in so many other aspects.
FAILURES: On Attendance, the community boasts a collective electoral vote count of approximately above 6 million votes (more by 2027). Those in attendance on Friday were an approximated 10,000 people. A drop in the ocean so to speak (0.16 per cent ratio) compared with the voter’s number.
The other disheartening factor was the missing of prominence of the political class from the region, former President Uhuru Kenyatta, Peter Kenneth, Rigathi Gachagua, Kabogo, Mwangi Iria, Sabina Chege, Kiraitu Murungi, Ichungwa, Nyoro, Wanjigi, Lee Kinyanjui, Ngunjiri, Kiunjuri, Munya etc. the dismal attendance list illustrated a very disorganized, non-strategic and clueless region without a political focus.
The real elements of a significant Limuru Summit are to bring all these together without malice, attached self-interest but with a communal agenda outlook.
In the run up to the last General Election, what was expected was the hierarchy plan or regional power transition by former President Uhuru Kenyatta. This plan existed but was nibbled to pave way for a Martha Karua deputy position in Azimio Coalition. Peter Kenneth as emerging confirmations indicate was the heir apparent in Uhuru Kenyatta’s exit plan. However, the Uhuru led exit plan faced a lot of turbulent contests that saw Kenneth sacrificed. In the aftermath it seemed as if Uhuru Kenyatta had no intention of passing the baton, which was not the case.
Limuru 3’s second failure was lack of clarity on the objectives, Intended Outcomes and Goals. Previous forums have delivered presidential candidates as outcomes. They have had clarity on defined objectives which got achieved and have had goals set by and for the community during the electoral cycles of the previous forums met too.
A happenstance outcome of Limuru 3 seems to be an intention to ramp up pressure that would catalyze a revolution but this and the planning involved did not actualize. Evidence shows that in as much as the region is feeling to face a lot of targeted economic and political assaults, the conveners did not manage to harness sufficient quotient of mass pain and suffering that would catapult a revolutionary outcome “Maandamano style”.
One of the conveners is Jeremiah Kioni who during the Maandamano picketing onslaughts driven by Azimio presidential candidate Raila Odinga, faced cold shoulders from diehards in Azimio and ODM legislators who cited his lack of capacity to mobilize sufficient mass turn out.
His Sufuria movement managed to raise some level of awareness related to the high cost of living but this lacked sustenance. His passionate intentions against the KK regime must be lauded but his pronounced front bearer seat in the planning and execution of Limuru 3 casts a very hazy and unenergized onslaught.
Of the third Limuru 3 failures was lack of honesty and Community Audit.
The main party in 2022 had a very well financed campaign assault against KK in the last electoral cycle. However, the failure to clinch notable positions across the candidatures still remains a thorn in the flesh. Again, this brings back the Kioni factor as the seemingly top convener.
The many losers of the last electoral cycle under Jubilee party are captured stating their lack in faith against him. An audit was imminent and should have been very prominent amongst the day’s discussions. Ferdinand Waititu (a political opportunist) did some talking touching on the last campaigns, but it should have been more, if not amongst the listed then the headliners such as Kioni should have utilized the podium to address the matter to give accounts of what transpired towards the loss.
Remember Kioni was very swift to make remarks, either out of dismay or pure admiration after the KK win.
Sound decision making must be demanded from the electorate “Wanjiku or is it Ciku” now). An audit on what influences the voting patterns of GEMA communities.
A declaration on the same must have been sought out for, Limuru 3 should have deliberately scoped to become an intentional purification (catharsis moment).
The elders did seem to appease Uhuru Kenyatta but through a snippet of the programs time. In total, Limuru 3 was a level 3/10 rating.
Many on social mediums had positive and negative reactions. Those for evidently driven by the sheer desperation emanating from the economic hardships that a lot of Mount Kenya communities are experiencing. But were their expectations met, not at all.
Those for but against the political class that missed attendance drove a point of the veracity and high threshold levels of frustration through the venting. These were highly expectant of a revolutionary declaration and their wrath was directed to singularly Hon. Peter Kenneth. Kenneth on the other hand issued a well elaborated statement captured in the dailies that cited and pro-actively articulated reasons and views on an ideal Limuru 3. The Anti Limuru 3 banter was driven well by majorly, the KK adherents and sympathizers.
MT KENYA CURRENT STATE:
Mt. Kenya regions ideology is not pragmatic in the sense that the power brokers are selfishly drumming up for anyone who will oppose Ruto, it does not seem to matter whether the end result will install a worse choice. Talk of jumping from the frying pan into the fire, what a worse mistake to head towards to as a region. Lastly as adopted that county meetings will take place, this in layman also depicts lack of good strategy.
Limuru 3’s execution took place in reverse. A bottom-Up execution should have been the ideal model of rolling out. A series of county wide forums that would have culminated into the Limuru 3 Conference. GEMA must shun populism and adopt realism or (leadership), Change of guard as the beginning followed by change of thought and execution.
WAY FORWARD:
Meritocracy must be the only formula that Mount Kenya Region must use. No other way and in doing this, Mt Kenya will not only be solving a regional crisis but a national leadership deficiency. The political class, Power brokers and the community at larger must in unison choose the most premium leadership to lead from the front and with unwavering support from all and sundry in the GEMA communities.
Hypothetically the top contender based on the reactions by the unfulfilled expectations of many, came out as Peter Kenneth. This region seems to have it right on this one. However, will others in the region shield selfish interests, unwarranted completion and divisive views over a singular premium Kenneth candidature?
Ideally this is what needs to be done. The Kenneth article painted a work in progress for an upcoming premium summit between former President Uhuru Kenyatta, Himself and DP Gachagua, this being the way to go. These are the three key factors that will shape Mt Kenya region.
Delivery of the high-level discourse between these leaders should be fast tracked and after cascaded lower to accommodate all strata of the political class for GEMA. This will easily translate into a very united all powerful premium front that will not only shape the Mt Region but would influence and align the national politique come 2027 or after.
Application of Blue Ocean/Red Ocean model would easily pick Kenneth as the most premium leader for the region. Furthermore, additional Analysis should be done, think tanks enacted and strategies borne.
Then a GEMA blue Ocean USP (Unique Selling Proposition) crafted fast, and not by the common regional headliners, to back a Kenneth candidature. Otherwise Mount Kenya region must be aware that facing William Ruto in 2027 or his 2032 preference will not only require a complete overhaul of the thought process of the GEMA.
Community Elders must not hasten to “Bless” opportunism. Once crafted afresh, the strategy will require bankrolling against. Worthy to note is “Time being of the essence” and not a luxury for the GEMA.
Finally, once bitten twice shy, as the mantra to GEMA, they must recall the pleas extended to them by Uhuru Kenyatta. It’s time for re-education, and informing the GEMA Community on sound economics philosophies, re-investing, reduction of populism and manipulation, and creation of Premium GEMA LEADERSHIP Structures that will emancipate the region and Kenya at large.
__Author: William Waithaka Wangui is Gatanga current Jubilee Party Sub County Chairperson and 2022 MCA political candidate __
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Mount Kenya Times’ editorial stance.
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