Nairobi, Sept. 12 -- If he was looking forward to wielding power and influence as the Mt Kenya kingpin after retiring, President Kenyatta's hopes were completely dashed with the outcome of the 2022 presidential election when his preferred candidate, Mr Raila Odinga, was defeated by Deputy President William Ruto.

The result was also a stunning rejection of the outgoing president in his own Mt Kenya backyard where the presidential vote decisively went to Dr Ruto, whose United Democratic Alliance (UDA) swept virtually all the seats.

What remained of President Kenyatta's Jubilee Party got a negligible number of seats in Mt Kenya. Had Mr Odinga won the presidency, his running mate, Narc-Kenya party leader Martha Karua, would have been in pri...