Kenya: Silence is golden for former President Uhuru Kenyatta
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Former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta has been urged by close confidants to keep a low profile, a posture that he appears to have adhered to. It is feared by his inner circle that assuming a political stance against incumbent President William Ruto would jeopardise business interests.
Kenyatta’s silence is a distinct volte-face from his assertions that he would remain active in politics after relinquishing the presidency. He is still chair of the Azimio la Umoja coalition, of which Mr Raila Odinga is a member.
By contrast, Mr Odinga, who lost to President Ruto in the 2023 elections, has insisted that these losses came as a result of election fraud, and has mobilised supporters in a series of demonstrations. Former President Kenyatta has not backed last month’s anti-government demonstrations, but reportedly at the urging of his advisors would focus on his role as an international mediator and peace envoy to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Ethiopia.
The Kenyatta family business interests
According to a report, the competition between the Kenyatta family and President Ruto extends into the hospitality sector. President Ruto reportedly avoids staying at the Heritage Hotels Group of hotels, which is owned by former President Kenyatta. These venues have hosted a number of high profile government-linked visits and events over the course of President Kenyatta’s two terms. President Ruto is alleged to have an interest in other hotels located in Naivasha, which he has frequented earlier this year with his officials.
President Ruto has reportedly already taken aim at the Kenyatta family’s business interest in the dairy sector. Brookside Dairy Ltd is a dairy monopoly owned by the Kenyatta family. In order to diversify the industry, President Ruto has embarked on a plan for smaller producers to process their own raw output, reducing the dependency on Brookside, which has 50% of the dairy processing market in Kenya.
READ MORE: RUTO SWORN IN AS KENYAN PRESIDENT
President Ruto’s administration is also alleged to have targeted the legacy media institutions in that country. During the election campaign he railed against what he perceived as media bias against him in that country’s biggest media houses. The Kenya’s Government Advertising Agency has slashed its advertising spend in newspaper outlets that have a perceived closeness to the former government.
Mediamax Networks is owned by the Kenyatta family, while Standard Group is a subsidiary of SNG Holdings Ltd, owned by former president Daniel Arap-Moi. Royal Media Services endorsed Raila Odinga’s campaign for the presidency. All of these groups are having to make cuts or staff layoffs, due to a confluence of factors – the changing media landscape, worsening global economic conditions, and also the cuts to advertising, including government spend.
It is thought that the benefits of former president Kenyatta’s calculated neutrality would accrue in not making the family businesses “fair game” by President Ruto’s administration. Former President Kenyatta’s status as an international statesman would also be affected by antagonising political rivals. He is expected to play a more active role in international diplomacy and international relations.
