This man Kimunya!

Well, I have covered Kenya’s Parliament long enough to kind of see how Mr Kimunya does his things, and I marvel at the audacity with which he wades into controversy.

I also tend to think that he wields so much power, to an extent that he believes his word is law. It has been law, in fact, more than “the law” when it comes to the public appointments to the plum parastatals under the ministry of Transport.

There’s all this talk about tribalism in public appointments. It’s real and it is scary. Just where is that chairman of the National Cohesion and Integration Commission, Dr Mzalendo Kibunjia? Or where is Mohammed Affey, the chairman of the House Committee on Equal Opportunity?

I thought the flagrant arrogance with which Mr Kimunya acted really explains why he is there, never mind that he has been censured by Parliament, and by a presidential commission of inquiry, it that investigated the secret sale of the Grand Regency (now Laico Regency). Read the report here.

But to understand Kimunya really well, you just have to remember that he’s the kind of guy who was convinced to join politics by three people who’ve been at the centre of every big project in the country.

The day after Mr John Michuki died, that is February 22, this year, Mr Kimunya revealed that his decision to join politics was made in a meeting between him, President Kibaki, and Mr George Muhoho (the former powerful boss of the Kenya Airports Authority). That get-together was held back in April 2002.

That revelation explained the long-time puzzle as to why Mr Kimunya continues to run the lucrative docket that handles billions in infrastructure funds.

Building of roads and other transport infrastructure like the Lamu Port and the Isiolo megacity are on top of President Kibaki’s achievements and will no doubt define his legacy. It is only natural for President Kibaki to place such responsibility in the hands of a person that he trusts unreservedly –his protégé.

Mr Kimunya has also been given an additional responsibility as the Deputy Leader of Government Business in Parliament, despite his being indicted by the august House over the secret sale of Grand Regency hotel to the Libyans –leading to its being rebranded Laico Regency. He’s no doubt the President’s blue-eyed boy.

Mr Muhoho served at the KAA, a plum State Corporation, for two terms under President Kibaki. Remember the uproar that was there when Mr Muhoho was leaving KAA and there was all this noise about his successor and the process about the choice of Mr Stephen Gichuki? Don’t ask who owns Kenya.

Aside from the political connections, Mr Kimunya also revealed that together with Mr Michuki, they were the ones who wooed Mr Kalonzo Musyoka to join President Kibaki, soon after the controversial polling in the December 2007 General Election.

“In 2008, during those very difficult times, I do remember we worked tirelessly together with (Mr) Michuki and, indeed, one of the major achievements we did which was not known to people until he actually announced it during the (2010) referendum (campaigns) was working on the first coalition bringing together ODM-(K) (and President’s PNU). We negotiated that with (Mr) Michuki, myself and the team,” Mr Kimunya bared all.

And what did Michela Wrong’ write about Mr Kimunya in her book ‘It’s our Turn to Eat’, check Page 243, 259.

So when you see him doing the things he does, be shocked not. That day will come. Just think about Hosni Mubarak and Muammar Gaddaffi. That day will surely come.