Built by the Chinese in the mid 1980s, the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, is identified more with political typhoons than with sporting events.
Tukutane Kasarani, Kasarani Kichinjio and Kasarani Kisirani are some of the euphemisms associated with ruthless political decisions taken or witnessed at the stadium, located 15 kilometres from the city centre.
Since the days when retired President Moi was Head of Sate and chairman of the then ruling party Kanu, political parties have held some of their meetings at Kasarani where crucial decisions were made in a manner that changed Kenya’s political equation.
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So when President Uhuru Kenyatta took to the podium on Sunday to address the Akorino Annual Conference at the stadium’s Gymnasium and switched to his native Kikuyu dialect, unleashing one epithet here and a barb there, observers were quick to point out that a major political tremor was in the offing. Or so it seems.
Famous speech
Kenyans remember Kasarani for few sporting activities that have attracted attention beyond the country.
It was at Kasarani that former US President Barack Obama made his famous speech in 2015 in which he vouched for gender equity.
In the same year, Kasarani hosted Pope Francis, who spoke against land-grabbing and corruption.
However, it is the events in Kenya by Kenyans that have made Kasarani such a hot bed of politics with some elites treating it with an element of paranoia.
Kasarani was the venue of the merger between Raila Odinga’s then Liberal Democratic Party and Kanu, on March 18, 2002.
Then, the current ODM leader became secretary general of New Kanu, replacing long-serving John Joseph (JJ) Kamotho, now the late. A dejected Kamotho was later to quip: “Kasarani ni kichinjio (Kasarani is a guillotine)”.
On the other hand, then Vice-President, the late Prof George Saitoti, who was Kanu’s first vice-chairman, was replaced by then nominated MP Uhuru Kenyatta. Before giving up office, Saitoti rose to support the merger,stating: “There come (sic) a time when the country is bigger than an individual,” and paved the way for Uhuru to become Moi’s principal assistant within Kanu ranks.
However, in October 2002, it was Raila’s turn to be led to the slaughterhouse at the same Kasarani stadium where Moi settled on Uhuru as his heir-apparent.
In September 2007, Kasarani witnessed the camaraderie that gave fillip to Coalition for Reforms and Democracy and Raila’s second stab at the presidency.
Apart from being the venue of Raila’s endorsement to run for the presidency in 2013, Kasarani was also the place in March 2014 where elections for Raila’s ODM party aborted after goons, nicknamed “Men in Black”, violently disrupted the exercise.
Inauguration ceremonies
The ‘digital’ youthful pair of the 2013 and 2017 presidential race victory, Uhuru and William Ruto had their inauguration ceremonies at Kasarani on both occasions.
So, when last Sunday an angry Uhuru chose Kasarani as the venue to read the Riot Act to some elected leaders from his Central Kenya turf, Kenyans were left with tongues wagging as to what the son of Jomo is up to. Only time will tell.
