Gideon Moi eyes Matiang’i role in Raila government
Kenya Africa National Union (KANU) has vouched for Gideon Moi to be appointed Chief Minister in Raila Odinga government.
The Independence political outfit made the remark on its official Twitter page together with a photo of the Baringo Senator who is the last born son of former president Daniel Moi.
Chief Minister 2022-2027! Inawezekana. pic.twitter.com/e77k9gbUjp
— The KANU Party (@KANUParty_ke) April 28, 2022
The announcement comes a day after the Daily Nation published a story indicating Raila Odinga will have a chief minister in his government.
Raila Odinga and William Ruto are considered favourites to succeed President Uhuru Kenyatta ahead of the August 2022 polls.
The two have been vigorously campaigning across Kenya and in countries where Kenyans living in diaspora live.
Gideon Moi recently teamed up with Odinga and sacrificed his presidential elections as a result.
The younger Moi, who also is KANU chairman has also announced he will not defend his Baringo Senator seat.
“Kanu is considering some options and we will field a candidate in the Baringo senatorial race to succeed chairman Gideon Moi,” the party’s secretary general Nick Salat revealed.
Fishing out for a candidate for the party will make the senatorial seat a hotly contested battle between UDA and KANU.
“The Baringo senatorial race will majorly be about the Ruto-Moi rivalry because currently both UDA and Kanu command significant support in the region,” said Lawyer Steve Kabita.
Mr Moi and DP Ruto have been embroiled in a protracted battle of supremacy for the control of the Rift Valley vote and Baringo County is turning out to be one of the battlegrounds.
Even though it does not exist in the constitution, the Chief Minister role is considered the third most senior position in government after that of the President and Deputy President.
The role was served by Fred Matiang’i between 2017 and 2022 and he was at times considered powerful than Deputy President William Ruto who had fallen out with President Kenyatta.
Matiang’i chaired co-cabinet meetings and supervised government projects.
Gideon, fallen president Moi’s favourite son, has long been mentioned as a probable future president of Kenya.