WELCOME: DP Ruto with Bishop Joseph Mairura at St John?s Catholic Church, Nyabiuto, Kisii, yesterday. Photo/ DPPS
DEPUTY President William Ruto is slowly consolidating support among small and pastoral tribes as he prepares for 2017.
Although the Deputy President has not said whether he will run for President in 2017, those close to him say he is determined to maintain his support - just in case.
"The Deputy President remains loyal to President Uhuru Kenyatta and he continues to maintain his support base because Jubilee needs it for now. You never know about the future," said a close Ruto confidant.
The plan, according to multiple sources, is to ensure that the small tribes who, according to the 2009 Census, account for almost 15 million of Kenya's 40-million-plus population, remain in URP.
When he launched URP ahead of the last election, Ruto positioned it as the party of the marginalized and small tribes. Some of the areas these communities inhabit are also considered Cord strongholds.
Yesterday Ruto was back in Kisii for a harambee, a region he visited only last month. On Saturday, the DP presided over a series of functions in Samburu and Turkana, pastoral areas dominated by ODM, and promised the people more development in the coming days.
According to the 2009 Census, the smaller tribes total 14.8 million, a constituency Ruto is said to be keen to capture ahead of 2017.
They include the Somali (2.3 million), Kisii (2.2), Mijikenda (1.9), Meru (1.6), Turkana (0.9), and Maasai (0.8).
Also in this demographic are the Teso, Embu, Taita, Kuria, Samburu, Tharaka, Mbeere, Borana, Basuba, Swahili, Gabra, Orma, Rendille, Ilchamus, Kenyan Arabs and Kenyan Asians.
In the last three months, the DP has made trips to low population density areas where he has presided over functions, particularly harambees.
Recently Ruto has also visited the Coast region, including Lamu and Kwale counties, with a basket of goodies and promises of more to come. Coast region is considered a Cord stronghold as it voted overwhelmingly for Raila Odinga in the last election.
During his visit to Kwale, Ruto seemed to have won over Kwale Governor Salim Mvurya, together with ODM legislators in the region, in a move that saw Cord MPs openly denounce referendum calls fronted by their national leaders.
In Mombasa County, Ruto launched a water project, dished out three middle-level colleges, promised title deeds and announced a Sh500 million budget to sort out area problems.
“We know why we lost the vote here, we know. We are not fools. And we will see what to do,” Ruto said during the trip to the Coast.
In August, Ruto was in Embu to attend Embu Senator Lenny Kivuti's homecoming party.
The following weekend, Ruto went to Meru, where he attended yet another homecoming party, for Chuka Igamba Ng’ombe MP Muthomi Njuki.
A few weeks ago, Ruto toured Bungoma County, where he donated a school bus to Kimobo Friends’ Secondary School in Mt Elgon Constituency.
He also opened a library at Chemoge Secondary School, where he promised that Jubilee will serve all communities, regardless of party affiliation.
The populous Busia County is also a strategic region for Ruto, as an entry point to Western Kenya.
Although the county is considered a Cord stronghold, Ruto enjoys considerable support among the Teso.
His URP party secured two seats in the National Assembly, that of Teso South MP Mary Emasse and Teso North’s Arthur Odera.
In June this year, Ruto was chief guest during Odera’s homecoming party.
Ruto’s maiden tour after he was sworn in as Deputy President was in Migori County, in late April last year, where he assured the residents of Nyanza that the Jubilee Government will work with them, regardless of party affiliation.
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