Deputy President William Ruto has made known his intention to win over parties affiliated to Jubilee and strengthen the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) in an escalation of internal feud with his boss Uhuru Kenyatta.
Yesterday, DP Ruto paraded Chama Cha Mashinani (CCM) party leader Isaac Ruto in Bomet in what looked like a prized trophy after a long and tortuous adventure in the wild. Mr Ruto and his CCM brigade, including Chepalungu MP Gideon Koskei, his Narok West counterpart Gabriel Tonkoyo and ward reps led by Minority Leader Andrew Maritim, in a surprise move declared their support for the DP.
Sources within the DP’s camp say CCM is just one of the parties he targets to bring on board as a he creates a formidable force to ride on to the next general election. Dr Ruto seemed to confirm this as he told the charged rally in Bomet that he will soldier on with new and old allies to unite Kenyans even if the Jubilee Party disintegrates.
The major realignment is seen to dent Mr Kenyatta’s political influence and the prospects of the Jubilee Party, considering that CCM had signed a post-election agreement with the ruling party in May 2020. The move also punctures the campaign for the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) in the Rift Valley region where Mr Ruto was Kenyatta’s point man.
“Since you have learnt your lessons while in the political cold following your defeat in the last general election, you are welcome to the fold. Let us cover the ground together, unite the people ahead of the next general election,” said Dr Ruto.
He was accompanied by Bomet Governor Hillary Barchok, his Kericho counterpart Paul Chepkwony and a host of legislators, including Senators Kipchumba Murkomen (Elgeyo Marakwet), Aron Cheruiyot (Kericho) and Dr Christopher Langat (Bomet).
Mr Ruto who was welcomed with a thunderous applause, assured the DP of his party’s support for the top seat.
“If the masses have decided that they will back you for the presidency, then we in CCM have absolutely no problem with that as we will battle for the governorship and legislative positions,” said Mr Ruto.
The former governor has repeatedly stated that he would not fold CCM, but work with like-minded leaders and parties to root for devolution and increased resource allocation to counties.
The two political schemers who started their political career together became sworn enemies after the 2013 polls over a raft of issues, among them the decision by the latter to disband the United Republican Party (URP) which they had started to unite the Kalenjins. URP was merged with President Kenyatta’s The National Alliance to form Jubilee.
Later, a battle for supremacy and control of the vote-rich Rift Valley resulted in the formation of the CCM in the run-up to the 2017 elections, in which he failed to recapture the governor’s seat.
The DP appeared to pull a fast one against Jubilee by bagging CCM months after it entered into a post-election coalition with the ruling party in an initiative where the DP was sidelined as other parties,Kanu led by Baringo Senator Gideon Moi and Wiper’s Kalonzo Musyoka, were also taken on board.
The move has however caused disquiet in the CCM party with Secretary-General Zedekiah Bundotich alias Buzeki saying the party did not sanction it. “His move is personal and of no value to the party. I quit!” Buzeki said.
“The people on the ground will back you for the presidency and rally behind my candidature for the gubernatorial seat,” said Mr Ruto.
Attempts by Senator Murkomen and MP Ng’eno to have the CCM leader don a green UDA cap were rebuffed by Mr Ruto who said he did not go to the meeting to defect. But he later wore a blue one christened Hustler, handed to him by Dr Ruto.
The new card could have handed a lifeline to the combative orator who seeks to return from a five-year political oblivion and recapture the seat he lost in 2017 to the late Joyce Laboso. The DP visited Bomet more than regularly before the August 8 polls, to ensure that his nemesis went home.
Mr Ruto went home with his foot soldiers in CCM; Patrick Ntutu who eyed the Narok governorship and Zakayo Cheruiyot (Kuresoi South MP).
Emurua Dikkir MP Yohanna Ng’eno, another hardliner, narrowly sailed through, thanks to his choice to run on Kanu and rigorous campaigns. Mr Ng’eno joined the DP side immediately after re-election.
After failing to recapture his seat, Mr Ruto backed Mr Kenyatta during the repeat polls on October 26, 2017.
Five years in the cold is said to be a long a period, and the devolution crusader cannot take chances in going against the grain and losing once again.
When he signed the agreement with Jubilee last year, there was talk of major Cabinet changes that would have seen his entry in government, but it never came.
Addressing the rally yesterday, the DP took a swipe at those calling for a rotational presidency, saying the people want to elect leaders based on development records and manifestos.
“We are not interested in a presidency that is arrived that through lottery on ethnicity, clan, or other petty issues. We want leaders to be elected on account of their vision, plan and manifesto,” Dr Ruto said.
He told off Jubilee leaders opposed to his leadership, saying he had an alternative political vehicle (UDA) to run for the presidency in the next General Election.
“It is unfortunate that Jubilee has disintegrated to a level it cannot field parliamentary and civic candidates in by-elections,” he said. "Even if they kill Jubilee, they will not stop our resolve to unite the people ahead of the next general election. We will soldier on. We have an alternative outfit, as the people are on our side and their message is very clear – that the economy has to be fixed and employment opportunities created."
"It is unfortunate that a clique in the party is out to reverse the development agenda and programs initiated by the Jubilee administration. But we will soldier on and ensure the country is united and politics of ethnicity being sold by our opponents is rejected by the masses,” he added.
He said his allies were being harassed and intimidated using state agencies in a bid to slow his political agenda to build alliances across the country.
He pointed at the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) as institutions that were notoriously being used to intimidate and harass his allies across the country.
“Our opponents cannot remove from us the determination to unite this country even if they break our political party (Jubilee) and make it an unpopular outfit whose only agenda is to discipline and remove members. We would not agree to be divided along ethnic backgrounds,” Dr Ruto stated.
Dr Ruto stated, "I want to tell my opponents that we will not slow down, we will remain focused on our agenda in the hustler movement that seeks to empower and unite the people irrespective of the class in society and ethnic backgrounds. This country belongs to all of us and not a clique of power brokers and the rich,”
However, he urged the people to back President Uhuru Kenyatta in his development agenda which he said was good for the country, despite alleged efforts to curtail the various programs.
“President Kenyatta has the power and authority to appoint Kenyans to positions and we should not fault him for performing his constitutional mandate. I call upon Kenyans to rally behind the President,” said Dr Ruto.
