Limuru Three: Historical significance and how Limuru 1 & 2 shaped Kenyan politics

The term 'Limuru Three' has been bandied about a lot in the last few weeks but just what is its historical significance and what of Limuru one and two?

Some of those with a historical grasp of these events feel Limuru Three does not measure up to those that came before it, while others view it as a manifestation of the power struggle within government and in the official opposition.

Before there was Limuru three, there was Limuru One then Two; and before there was Limuru One, there was Limuru.

Limuru, historians say, has been a landmark on Kenya's political landscape right from independence, from 1961.

“And we are making this decision in Limuru, very radical. Jomo Kenyatta is our leader, we're talking about a detainee is going to be our leader. So we transform KAU to KANU. Very radical," Africa Policy Institute CEO Peter Kagwanja said.

The political decision was reached at the home of James Gichuru.

Five years later, Kenya now a sovereign State, and Limuru would once again play host to another political turning point in Kenya's history.

"Nyerere was moving socialist, Obote had moved socialist, Ethiopia had moved socialist. Kwame Nkurumah was talking about socialism, every African was talking about socialism. We went to Limuru and said NO, we are going to have a market economy," Kagwanja added.

The NO cemented the fallout between Jomo Kenyatta and the premier Vice President, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga.

It wasn't until May of 2010 that the Mwai Kibaki administration tapped into the historical significance of Limuru to rally the Kikuyu community around what is our present-day constitution, birthing, Limuru One.

"Michuki was out, Jamleck Kamau was out, we were told Uhuru Kenyatta was not a hundred per cent behind it. And I went back to our history and found that any time we had such divisions, we went back to Limuru to find consensus so that we go in as a people," Kagwanja explained.

Kenya was again at a cross-roads and the idea behind Limuru One was to have Mt. Kenya again assert its dominance as a unified block.

"Out of Limuru we decided one, we are going to support this constitution. Two, Uhuru is going to be the voice of Mt. Kenya and we are going to vote for the Constitution as a community," he added.

Come 2012, Mt Kenya once again found itself at a political crossroads of monumental political consequence and again, it spoke in one voice.

"Limuru II decided that Uhuru is not only going to be the voice of Mt. Kenya, he's also going to be a presidential candidate, a Kikuyu was to succeed a Kikuyu. Second, ICC or no ICC, we don't care, we're going to elect Uhuru Kenyatta. Three, that we're going into this election as twins. Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto," noted Kagwanja.

But what of Limuru III of what historical significance is it?

"I have a problem with an agenda that lowers the quality of the Limuru process. By the time we go to Limuru, we are going to say it as it is, and we are not speaking to ourselves because we have already built consensus among ourselves. We know what we want. So at this juncture, what have we agreed upon?" He said.

Former Central Imenti MP Gitobu Imanyara added: "It's been called to remind the people of Mt. Kenya, as I understand, of the importance of maintaining unity of purpose so that they can be prepared for 2027 and the main thing again as I see it is the so-called one man, one vote, one shilling, and I see that this has now been taken in by the Deputy President that the Mt. Kenya population is not benefitting economically."

While resolutions historically arrived at in Limuru have carried the day, they have also shown that choices do, have consequences.

"Kiraitu is not there, Linturi is not there, the Meru people are not there, Muturi is not there for Embu, Cecily Mbarire is not part of that. We are going to have Mt. Kenya isolated as the main opposition to the current government. And we are being opposed to the government when Gachagua, Moses Kuria, Ndindi Nyoro are already in the government and they themselves have no consensus," Imanyara added.

"Rift communities for example may feel that this is an attempt to take power away from us. How do you deal with the Luo community when Limuru diminished Luo influence on Kenyan politics and they have been fighting to restore it up to now. They may feel that one man, one vote, one shilling is taking away the benefits that devolution bestowed on them."

Ultimately, has Limuru three succeeded in uniting Mt. Kenya around a common agenda?

"The Kikuyu are people of processes. As they call themselves, Mutaratara people, we follow processes. We are a thinking people, we think of ourselves very highly. So Limuru III as currently constituted here is just a farce, it's a joke.

"So Limuru 3 here, what is radical about it? What earth-shaking resolutions and Agenda do we have in Limuru? Opposing Ruto? We need a Jomo Kenyatta, we need a Mwai Kibaki, we need an Uhuru Kenyatta. So what Mwai Kibaki, Jomo Kenyatta are we producing today, in the Limuru process? Leadership matters," Kagwanja stated.

Imanyara on his part said, "Ruto is cleverly putting their own people in positions of authority so that when 2027 comes he can point out it's not me, it's your own people who are in leadership in the National Assembly, it's your own people who are heading the KRA which is the chief collector of taxes, it's your own people who are chairing the Finance Committee so why would you blame me?"

Just how significant is Limuru III? As with most things, time will tell.