Why interest in Ruto ruffles many

By Standard On Sunday Team

Reports of a possible political pact between ODM’s Raila Odinga and URP’s William Ruto have generated a lot of political heat and interest.

If it materialises, it is bound to jolt the careers of some political leaders, especially in the Rift Valley counties. Some within ODM have, for instance, regarded Industrialisation minister and national party Chairman Henry Kosgey as Raila’s presumptive running mate. While the Tinderet MP has remained loyal and kept the PM’s ties with the Kalenjin alive, Ruto is a bigger catch. If he returns to the fold, Kosgey will have to take a backseat.

The minister is yet to publicly react to the latest development. However, Roads Minister Franklin Bett, who has also been angling to be the PM’s running mate, lauded the much-publicised meeting as a show of political maturity by the two. The Bureti MP is confident the two key presidential aspirants will eventually craft a pre-election alliance. Other aspirants, he told The Standard On Sunday on phone, should emulate the duo and put aside tribal politics for the sake of a united country.

“It is the time political leaders put aside past grudges. This latest meeting confirms the popular saying that in politics there are no permanent friends or enemies but permanent interests,” said Bett.

The latest Raila-Ruto meeting was not the first as it has emerged the two have held at least three other sessions. Last week, ODM Secretary General Prof Anyang Nyong’o alerted the press in Kisumu to expect a few “breaking stories these coming weeks”.?

“The question is what’s available to exploit for the common good of Kenyans. This is all we in the party are interested in,” he said, hinting that the PM could settle on Ruto or any other leader as his running mate. “Anything is possible. And numbers will do. So we are talking to strong candidates. The PM has stated his first agenda will be refocused on uniting the country around widespread values, irrespective of their tribal or party’s band.”

Nonetheless, thorns are strewn in the way of a possible political marriage of the two. The Eldoret North MP is particularly faced with resistance from some legislators from his backyard, most of who are reluctant to starting singing a different tune from the one they have been belting out since decamping from the Orange party.

“Some of us have personally fought him for the last four years and can simply not go in that direction,” says Cherangany MP Joshua Kuttuny. “One wonders what Agwambo might do to us if we regroup under his presidency.”

Kuttuny claims the latest developments have slowed down execution of a host of URP’s campaign strategies. Sources have indicated to The Standard On Sunday that plans were almost finalised to receive East Africa Community minister Musa Sirma and Energy assistant minister, Magerer Lagat as defectors. With talk of a Raila-Ruto pact in the air, Kuttuny concedes there is a lot of confusion on the ground.

The MP has vowed not to support Ruto, if the latter opts to back Raila’s presidential bid.

-Additional reporting by Kepher Otieno and Jacob Ngetich.