BBI: Bring it on, William Ruto dares ‘system’

Deputy President William Ruto has once again alleged an elaborate scheme by his political foes to block him from succeeding President Uhuru Kenyatta.

According to the DP who has made his intentions to run for president public, those oscillating around the Head of State are coming together with an intention of clipping his ambitions.

The latest salvo by the country’s number two seemed aimed at the Thursday State House meeting between President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga, Musalia Mudavadi (ANC), Kalonzo Musyoka (Wiper), Moses Wetang’ula (Ford-K), Charity Ngilu (Narc) and Gideon Moi (Kanu), where they adopted a BBI popularisation plan ahead of a referendum by June.

“Wanaume raundi hii wananipagia kule juu kunizuia na watanipata hapa chini nimejipanga na wananchi …. (There are men who are plotting how to block me from presidency in Nairobi but they will find me down here with ordinary people)”

Dr Ruto, who was in Trans Nzoia county dared the “system” to bring it on, saying he has “God” and the majority of Kenyans to back what he said was an unstoppable 2022 presidential campaign.

In Kenyan politics, the “system”, sometimes referred to as “deep state”, has come to refer to powerful bureaucrats, political operatives and tycoons bankrolling elections – a group Dr Ruto has repeated several times that is working to stop him from running, or if he does, winning in the 2022 presidential poll.

Sitting government

In his boldest shot yet at the “system”, often said to be backed by the sitting government, Dr Ruto had likened the group’s roadblocks on his 2022 presidential-bid path to what he said was a concerted effort to block him and President Kenyatta’s candidature in 2013.

Isolated in government and staring at what would be an anti-establishment stab at the top job in 2022, he said that the next government will not be decided by few individuals pushing their selfish interests but the ordinary citizens who resonate well with his “Hustler Narrative”.

According to DP, politics should not be driven along tribal lines with the aim of dividing the country.

He said there are forces pushing that every ethnic group must have a “tribal chief” who will be influential in the voting pattern come 2022 saying Kenyans are not fools to be told how to vote.

“There are those forming tribal chiefs so that they will meet somewhere and decide on behalf of others. We want to tell them that every Kenyan will decide for him or herself. No one can decide on the behalf of another person. Nobody one is a fool to be dictated to,” Dr Ruto said, adding that Kenya does not have room for tribal chiefs. 

Hustler Nation

The DP reiterated that those coming together for the sake of forming the next government should be worried about the “Hustler Nation”, arguing that the next administration will not be formed in boardrooms but the electorate.

He added that he is the one who ensured that ODM the leader became prime minister in 2008.

Dr Ruto said he played a vital role in the President Kenyatta’s election victory in 2013 and 2017 hence he cannot fail to form the next government.

The DP and his troops yesterday posed themselves as the saviours of Kenyans.

They said they would not back any amendments” which they will burden Kenyans and neither will we oppose them”.

The team has employed the “hustler versus dynasties” narrative to win the support of poor Kenyans, especially the youth.

Dr Ruto told the groups he understands where they come from, often repeating his rags-to-riches tale, saying he is a “hustler” who rose from a chicken-seller in Turbo to what he is.

BBI proponents

He said the BBI is not important, adding that his focus is creating more job and business opportunities “so that more than 16 million Kenyans who are unable to pay taxes can be empowered economically to do so”.

The DP also hit out at BBI proponents over power-sharing agreement ahead of the 2022 General Election.

He said the referendum should not be about leaders sharing political and government positions at the expense of citizens “who are suffering due to economic headwinds caused by coronavirus and other problems”.

Already, the battle to succeed President Kenyatta is shaping up into a race of four formations.

The groups have been angling to gain political support and use it to sprint to the finish line during the elections next year.

The past two weeks have seen an escalation in the intra-National Super Alliance (Nasa) fights with Mr Mudavadi and Mr Musyoka campaigning to have Mr Odinga blocked from contesting the presidency.

Each want the ODM leader to endorse them for the country’s top job.