Ruto plans to block Uhuru from presidency

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By Isaac Ongiri

The fear of gambling with Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta as the G7 flag bearer and President Kibaki’s successor is beginning to emerge as skeptical supporters of Eldoret North MP William Ruto silently retreat to strategise.

Some forces within the alliance have raised the red flag over a deeply growing discomfort inside favourable voting blocks on the possibility of presenting an Uhuru candidature.

Informed by resistance from supporters in Rift Valley, the Ruto wing of the G7 alliance – mainly built up from a team of rebel ODM legislators and reinforced by collaborating MPs from other parties – has adopted a change of strategy in their political friendship with the PNU Alliance.

Eldoret North MP William Ruto has reservations over Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta’s candidacy. Photo: File/Standard

The fresh political plot is to confront Uhuru and do battle with him within the G7 alliance formation if he fails to negotiate to support a candidate from outside Central Province.

Tricky affair

Key alliance members believe it will be tricky to front Uhuru against Prime Minister Raila Odinga in the transitional General Election since the outgoing President comes from Mt Kenya region.

"Response from the ground shows it may become impossible to market Uhuru outside Central Province. We want to offer him a candidate who will deliver a friendly presidency which he must take or we go with him to the ballot and he will face the risk of ending up in a cruel Raila presidency," said a top level member of the G7 alliance.

To battle Uhuru, who according to opinion ratings is leading his rivals in the PNU Alliance, Ruto’s group is building a second force comprising the Eldoret North MP, Saboti MP Eugene Wamalwa and Cabinet Minister Chirau Ali Mwakwere.

In an underground move, schemers within the alliance are working round the clock to block Uhuru’s free drive to avoid a race that could be poisoned by ethnic pointers in what they argue could give advantage to a competitor.

Nominated MP Mohamed Affey expressed deep fears among the alliance insiders over Uhuru’s current front running form.

"It is true it will be impossible for the next President to come from Central Province. That will not happen. We are worried that even in the PNU alliance, we as ODM-Kenya have presented the Vice-President, who is the senior-most Government official. Why would someone want to by-pass him? This is the question we are asking," Affey said.

And Igembe South MP Mithika Linturi is warning G7 would lose elections if it did not respond to the feelings that it is time to elect someone from outside Mt Kenya region.

"I am not a tribalist but the feeling within Kenya is that the country is uncomfortable with another President from Central Province just after Kibaki. If the G7 picks Uhuru as their candidate then I can bet Raila will be in State House at midday on election day," Linturi said.

Ndaragwa MP Jeremiah Kioni confirmed raging ethnic undertones within the alliance, which he described as unfortunate and borne out of fear of Uhuru whose political grip he described as indefatigable.

"I have heard of these unfortunate feelings. Of course most MPs are too shy to talk about it in the open. I was in Kakamega the other day and some councillors were insisting that a Kikuyu candidate will not be acceptable, but it should be known clearly that Uhuru is in the race and he will run," Kioni said.

He also described the switching of camps by MPs who previously backed Uhuru to Ruto’s side as nothing unusual, adding it was only happening because the Finance Minister’s campaign was yet to take off.

"There is a lot of money being used and MPs who have benefited can be seen wavering there," Kioni claimed.

Imenti North MP Silas Rutere, who has joined Ruto’s camp, admitted there is a silent but sensitive ethnic card at play.

"There are people advancing the argument that we should not have a Kikuyu candidate, but they also say it is too soon for Ruto to come in just 10 years after Moi – also a Kalenjin. We must find a way of addressing these fears," Ruteree said.

And to slow down the Uhuru drive, Ruto’s supporters who also appear uncomfortable with Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka have changed tack, withdrawing the Eldoret North legislator from the possibility of playing the kingmaker role to a throne seeker.

The team of advisors and MPs working with Ruto has resolved to package him as a presidential material, with a national outlook capable of competing Uhuru if he emerges the PNU Alliance candidate.

"Uhuru, Kalonzo and Prof George Saitoti are in PNU Alliance. We also have our own group comprising Ruto, Mwakwere, Eugene Wamalwa and others," said Belgut MP Charles Keter.

Campaign items

Just to shed off the political spanner-boy role, Ruto’s campaign team flew out to China a few weeks ago to procure an assortment of campaign materials including T-shirts, caps and posters expected in circulation before next month.

Speaking to The Standard On Sunday, Ruto said his bid for president is not an experiment, insisting his desire is to become Kenya’s fourth President.

"I am coming into the race to fix the problems that have bedevilled this country that go beyond empty promises. I am coming in as hustler compared to my colleagues who are holding high-flying Government positions. I am in the race just to be clear to anybody still doubting," Ruto said.

His latest political moves are feared could lead to divisions in the fragile alliance, whose popularity ballooned after several MPs rebelled against ODM and joined PNU in the race against Raila. To force Uhuru into level-ground negotiations for the G7 candidature, Ruto’s group has intensified campaigns to attract more MPs to their side and woo swing regions like Coast, North Eastern and Kisii.

Through UDM, the Eldoret North MP is on a raid of political parties with Uhuru’s Kanu being the main casualty. Ruto has already marshalled a raid within Uhuru’s Kanu driving to his side four MPs, among them Cabinet Minister Naomi Shaaban, Assistant Ministers Kazungu Kambi and Joseph Ombui. In an interview, Kambi, who admitted his loyalty had shifted, said Ruto’s tours of Coast and northern Kenya were paying off.

"I can confirm to you Ruto is a brand growing bigger at the grassroots. He is rapidly being accepted in Kisii, Coast, Rift Valley, and North-Eastern Province," said the minister. But political activist Tony Gachoka described Ruto’s political game against Uhuru as unfortunate and misguided.

"Ruto must learn to behave. His current political card will be defeated and any attempt by UDM to isolate central Kenya is a dangerous move. It is important that we look at presidential aspirants on the basis of what they offer and not ethnicity," Gachoka said.

Gachoka, who is Wamalwa’s campaign manager, said the Saboti MP was Ruto’s competitor and therefore not party to what he described as the UDM plot against Uhuru.