Many allies of Kenya’s fourth president, Uhuru Kenyatta, were outraged when Kenya Kwanza Party politicians accused him of supporting the recent Generation Z uprising that appeared to have upended President William Ruto’s government again.

As the country is still recovering from the bloody protests that left a trail of death and destruction, ODM leader Raila Odinga has stirred up a hornet’s nest by saying that Uhuru had prompted him to seek a political agreement with President Ruto.

Many politicians and political commentators described Odinga’s claim as a way to cover up his political machinations and thus stem the tide of political backlash resulting from his decision to work with the Ruto government.

Some politicians from the Mount Kenya region said Odinga was trying to cling to Uhuru’s political capital to salvage his dwindling political standing after jumping onto a ship in stormy seas.

Political analysts further argued that by including Uhuru’s name in its political maneuvers, the ODM was trying to appease the one million voters in the region who had supported his presidential candidacy and were now accusing him of political treason.

Analysts argued that Uhuru would not push for the formation of amorphous political governance structures, as is currently the case following the appointment of four top ODM party politicians to Kenya’s Kwanza government.

Other observers argued that while they could not confirm the veracity of Odinga’s claims, they sincerely believed that Uhuru was a statesman who would do anything to ensure the stability of the country.

They stressed, however, that Uhuru would commit to well-structured talks and dialogue to address the country’s fundamental problems and ensure that key stakeholders were engaged to move the country forward.

Former Nakuru governor Lee Kinyanjui said in a terse statement: “While I do not speak for Uhuru Kenyatta, it would be a matter of great concern if the country descended into anarchy. However, power-sharing without a long-term commitment to addressing the issues raised by Generation Z is suicidal.”

Nakuru-based political observer Andrew Nyabuto said that while he could not fully confirm Odinga’s claims, Uhuru had a good sense of the events that posed a threat to national stability and he would not allow the country to go to the dogs.

“Everyone knew that the country was in turmoil following the Generation Z demonstrations that rocked all major cities and commercial centres in 40 counties of the country. As a former president, Uhuru has a network that could effectively inform him of the state of the country and inspire him to seek solutions to restore stability,” Nyabuto said.

Nyabuto said Raila’s claims, while unverifiable, “push Uhuru even more firmly into the centre of the country’s power matrix, where he is the key player in stabilising the country.”

Nyabuto added that Uhuru remained a dominant political force in the country and that is why many politicians, including DP Rigathi Gachagua, Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka and DAP-K leader Eugene Wamalwa, were allied with him.

“Raila has also realised that he needs Uhuru to advance his political cause and, more importantly, restore his image,” Nyaburo added.

Other politicians argued that Uhuru had become a dominant political force in Mount Kenya over the past few months and that many of the country’s political actors undoubtedly posed as people who had his blessing.

“Raila is engaging in political mischief at the highest level to win the hearts and souls of the voters of Mount Kenya whom he has cheated. He is using Uhuru’s name to clear his name. But unfortunately he has become far apart in the UDA and Azimio. No one will trust him as he speaks with a forked tongue,” said Kabue Mathenge, a political commentator.

Mathenge said although Uhuru currently enjoys great political influence in the Mount Kenya region despite having given up power almost two years ago, it was unthinkable that he could approach Raila and negotiate a political deal with Ruto without consulting the region’s leaders.

Mathenge said: “Raila is desperately trying to regain his footing after stumbling as a result of his unholy alliance with Ruto at a time when Kenyans are angry with his government which is dysfunctional and incompetent.”

“Raila has realised that the voters of Mount Kenya are angry with him for betraying their trust. And just as a drowning man clings to a straw, the ODM leader wants to cling to Uhuru’s coattails in the hope of freeing himself and Ruto from the traps.”

Mathenge previously served as regional presidential campaign coordinator for former Presidents Mwai Kibaki and Uhuru Kenya in the Rift Valley in four different elections.

Mathenge said the ODM leader aborted the revolution and stemmed the tide of change by supporting the Ruto government at a time when Kenya was on the cusp of a new political era ushered in by the Generation Z protests, thereby drawing the ire of Kenyans yearning for meaningful social, economic and political progress.

“Due to his obvious lust for power, Raila has shot himself in the foot and consequently fallen from grace. By trying to drag Uhuru into his mess, Raila is trying to re-enact the scene in the Garden of Eden where Adam and Eve, who lived in great shame, used some tree branches to hide their nakedness from God after falling victim to the machinations of the serpent who tricked them into eating the forbidden fruit. They had to face the consequences of their actions and were banished from the Garden of Eden,” Mathenge said.

Former Bahati MP Kimani Ngunjiri said Raila invoked the former president’s name to gain the trust of the people of Mount Kenya who accuse him of betraying their cause.

According to Ngunjiri, Raila had revealed himself to be a leader who could not be trusted, as he gave several contradictory accounts of events before accepting to work with President Ruto.

“He first explained that the four ODM leaders who were given CS posts were collaborating with the government on their own. He told us that President Ruto had begged him to help him stabilise the country after the challenges posed by the protesters, only to then invent a new story,” said Ngunjiri.

Ngunjiri said both Uhuru and Gachagua, the vice president, were the dominant political forces in the Mount Kenya region and that was why Raila knew he would need their support if his bid for the chairmanship of the African Union Commission failed and that was why he decided to run for president.

Ngunjiri urged politicians and residents of Mount Kenya to reject any form of manipulation “by political fraudsters and other actors who are bent on dividing them. Mount Kenya will not fall victim to political machinations again.”

“For now, we are happy that President Ruto and Gachagua have resolved their differences and the political situation has calmed down. However, we will soon start building structures to consolidate the unity of the Mount Kenya region and ensure that we have our dog when we go hunting in 2027,” Ngunjiri added.

For his part, lawyer Hari Gakinya said: “Raila has perfected the art of the political conman. He invokes Uhuru’s name to continue to profit from his deal with Ruto while trying to remain relevant on the national political stage. He cannot do everything at once.”

The lawyer added that by involving Uhuru in his mess, Raila was trying to clean his image so that he could exit the illegal political arrangement with Ruto at a time convenient for him and compete for the presidency should his bid for the AUC chairmanship fail.

However, Hari stated that the retired president was legally empowered to act in an advisory capacity to the government and people of Kenya.

“We know that the former president would be concerned if the country descended into anarchy, as he plays a key role in conflict resolution in other parts of Africa. But he cannot exercise his role in conflict resolution in Kenya carelessly and recklessly, as this would cement a regime that does not enjoy the trust of the people,” the lawyer said.

Samson Nkatha, a former mayor of Naivasha, said Raila was strengthening his image to continue to enjoy the support of the people of Mount Kenya while benefiting from his working agreement with President Ruto.

“I have been working with Raila since the struggle to introduce a multi-party system in the country and he is a person who cannot be trusted,” Nkatha said.

The former mayor said that Mount Kenya had become a major political force in the Central Kenya region and that was why Raila felt he needed to continue working with him to advance his political cause.

Political activist Njihia Muchiri said that Senator Oburu Odinga and MP Peter Kaluma had already announced to Kenyans that the ODM would join the government before President Ruto appointed their officials to the cabinet.

“It is therefore cheap propaganda when Raila tells us that he was pressured by Uhuru Kenyatta to enter into a political deal with President Ruto, while his henchmen publicly announced the deal to all Kenyans,” said Muchiri.