Why
Ruto could be kingmaker in G7
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Updated 6 hrs 55 mins
ago
By Oscar Obonyo
For his ambition and
speed, Eldoret North MP William Ruto is like the driver with full lights of his
car on. Those who care to notice take precautions, but for some, who
underestimate his speed, risk getting run over.
Having jumped from ODM
to United Democratic Movement (UDM), Ruto quickly reversed on realising his way
was strewn with thorns and opted for a third car, United Republican Party – all
within a short time.
Barely a couple of weeks in the new vehicle,
the politician has won a sizeable number of legislators to his side and
criss-crossed virtually all corners of the country. Within the said time, his
vehicle has outpaced Energy Minister Kiraitu Murungi’s famed ‘bus’ – the
Alliance Party of Kenya. This is in respect of the win of Igoji civic seat in
Kiraitu’s Imenti South constituency, in a recent by-election.
Ambitious man
“Charismatic, articulate, hardworking, ambitious and extremely
restless” – that is how Miguna Miguna, former aide to Prime Minister Raila
Odinga sums up Ruto’s character, in his new explosive text Peeling Back The
Mask.
These are the very attributes that members of the G7 Alliance hope
to harness in their bid to outmuscle Raila in the race to State House. Indeed
as the race peaks, observers agree the one man who will hold the G7 Alliance
together, and shape its campaign, is Ruto.
“I am not sure of the existence of this so-called G7 thing. What
is clear though is that Ruto has teamed up with political friends ahead of
General Election. He is at the centre of attraction because he boasts of a huge
voting bloc,” says Macharia Munene, who teaches at the United States
International University.
Despite staging his own presidential bid, the political
commentator sees Ruto as “the man of the moment”, who will be the kingmaker.
This, he attributes to his effective and forcefulness in political campaign as
well as “command of numbers”.
“In the public perception, however, Ruto comes with a baggage of
the old Kanu regime and lately cases in local and international courts. He may
not be the only one in this kind of fix, but this may partly persuade him to
turn over his numbers to another candidate,” says Munene.
The former minister separately shares a history with each of the
G7 members, and is ideally the navel that glues together the grouping. He was a
key player in Uhuru’s presidential bid in 2002 on a Kanu ticket. Today, the two
have cases at The Hague, where they face charges for crimes against humanity.
Their power tussles in ODM notwithstanding, Ruto is reportedly
also close to Deputy PM Musalia Mudavadi, who is now allied to the G7 members.
They worked closely as trusted lieutenants of former President Moi during the
last days of the Kanu regime.
And besides the old Kanu connection with VP Kalonzo Musyoka, Ruto
appears to enjoy cordial relations with the VP. It is the same ties that may
have occasionally persuaded Ruto to rush to Kalonzo’s defence whenever there
have been attempts to isolate him.
But describing G7 as a loose grouping glued
together by their common fear of Raila, political scientist Amukowa Anangwe
maintains: “In the long run, they will split to chase their individual
interests”. “Ruto is the most self-conceited politician of them all. He is in
the grouping purely for personal ambition and gain and he will only remain in
G7 for as long as he is getting the necessary political mileage or other
candidates are supporting his presidential bid,” says the former Cabinet
minister.
Ruto’s political influence has indeed stretched by the day, but
sceptical rivals have opted to look the other way. In fact, the biggest folly
of challengers has been to underestimate him.
Although, for instance, he reportedly opted to ally himself to the
Raila wing of ODM in 2007 after the ground had shifted in favour of the PM –
courtesy of initial efforts by Sally Kosgei (now Agriculture minister), party
chairman Henry Kosgey, and the late Kipkalya Kones – Ruto quickly inherited and
owned Rift Valley vote.
Upstaged big guns
He spearheaded campaigns in the region sweeping the boards and in
the event upstaged more experienced politicians like Kosgey, the late Kones,
and former Cabinet minister Nicholas Biwott, to emerge the political kingpin of
the Kalenjin, following Moi’s retirement.
An indefatigable campaigner, Ruto later teamed up with the clergy
in 2010, during the constitutional referendum. He went against the Government
led by President Kibaki and the Premier, by leading a crusade against enactment
of the Constitution.
Although his side did not win the poll, Yatta MP Charles Kilonzo
says Ruto won nearly half the votes in parts of Eastern despite the fact that
local leaders led by the VP pushed for the ‘Yes’ campaign.
“For all his perceived ill deeds one must give credit to
Ruto for being a forceful campaigner. You can only ignore him at your own
peril,” says the MP.
Besides his youthfulness, Miguna Miguna separately observes that
unlike most of his political partners and rivals, Ruto is a teetotaller,
meaning he is “less distracted from political campaigning”.
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