The presidency is nobody’s birthright

Deputy President William Ruto is not beyond getting himself into a social media frenzy over something patently misleading. A local daily had published a story that President Uhuru Kenyatta told a Kamba delegation he would pick a Nasa leader as his successor. What he did was to urge Nasa leaders to unite but added he will support any suitable Kenyan from whichever group. Ruto’s reaction on Twitter and Facebook was wild:

"EUCHO!! NGAI FAFA MWATHANI!! So, what happens to the Thurakus, the kumìrà kùmèrà contingent, the 8 million of us?? None, no youth, no woman, no man of the 8M who woke up early and voted 3 times for UK/WsR ticket merit support? Sawa tu! Tutajipanga na support ya MUNGU." 

The post (with its riot of emojis) read like something written by a street yob. Or somebody who is emotionally unbalanced. 

Gosh, this crazy rant was appearing on the verified social media accounts of the Deputy President of Kenya, no less! Note the language. The petulance. The bitterness. The self-pity. At first glance, this is odd. Why would "hustlers" care about an endorsement from a Dynasty? 'Eucho', I thought with God on your side you will conquer Earth and the Universe! 

With all the water that has passed under the bridge, I wouldn't expect anybody in the DP's circle could dream Uhuru would endorse Ruto. In any case the "hustlers" had long ago put it out that they didn't need his endorsement. "We have God and the people," so they chant. 

My own view that Uhuru had no intention of backing Ruto as his successor was formed in April 2018 during Kenneth Matiba's funeral service in Murang'a, a month after the Handshake. 

The President gave a harsh speech defending the Handshake, adding that things would never be the same again. It was the first time he was speaking in a public gathering on that topic. Ruto was present, looking somewhat startled. Raila Odinga was there too, looking smug. 

Driving back to Nairobi, I noted something else. Up to then, whenever the President and the DP shared a motorcade and stopped to greet roadside crowds, they would do so as a pair, taking turns to speak from the sunroofs of their cars. Ha, those were the salad days of the "co-presidency".

But on that day, when Uhuru stopped at Kenol town where a large crowd had gathered, he didn't bother to acknowledge his deputy, even though Ruto had already propped his frame up through his vehicle's sunroof awaiting his turn. Once Uhuru was done with his speech, he immediately drove off, leaving a visibly embarrassed Ruto with no choice but to slink back into his car seat and trail the presidential motorcade. Subtle signs indeed speak volumes. 

Drama at State House

Then came last year's Madaraka Day fete, which was done at State House grounds because of new Covid-19 restrictions. There, another exquisite drama was played out. By then the Kieleweke-Tangatanga hostilities had reached full peak and Ruto's expulsion from the Presidential circle already an old story everyone knew about. But on that day, Uhuru lavished full-blown attention on Ruto. He kept referring to "William" at every turn, before and after the official speech. The President even seemed not to notice his "elder brother" Baba, when he made his appearance. 

Afterward, on the forecourt of the imposing State House building, Uhuru engaged the DP in an unusually animated and lengthy chat, well aware that the media cameras were rolling. I thought I sensed a touch of puzzlement on the DP's part over this charm offensive. Their wives, who had been sat side by side at a balcony from where they followed the official ceremony and speeches, later joined them for another lively exchange seemingly initiated by Uhuru. It was all out there on display, relayed by video cameras. Smiles, much gesturing, hearty laughter. 

Sure, I was not expecting this show would mark a resumption of the old Uhuru-Ruto comradeship. Ruto clearly was being set up. Yet even I did not anticipate the brutality of what happened the next day. 

At the same State House, a Jubilee parliamentary group meeting was convened where the hitherto Tangatanga-dominated National Assembly leadership was decapitated and replaced with Kieleweke loyalists. 

Ruto stoically sat through the meeting as the bloodbath went on. The only Ruto ally who was spared was Majority House Leader Aden Duale. However, this turned out to be a temporary reprieve. Not long afterwards, he too was kicked out and replaced with Kipipiri MP Amos Kimunya. 

All said, the intended audience of the DP's "Ngai fafa Mwathani" post was the so-called "kumîra kumîra" Jubilee voting battalions. The post played on crude Kikuyu colloquialisms to insinuate that the President they voted for in 2013 and 2017 had now abandoned them and joined the "enemy". That he was a betrayer, in short. 

Ruto should ease up on the hypocrisy. He has formed a party which he is busy marketing. It has been fielding candidates against Jubilee in parliamentary and ward by-elections. The DP made his choice. Let him live with it. Whoever Uhuru supports should not be his concern. "Ajipange na Mungu." 

@GitauWarigi