RUTO SOLO MARCH TOWARDS STATE HOUSE

Deputy President William Ruto is walking a lonely path to State House as his main rivals plot separately to vanquish him.

The renewed camaraderie between President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM boss Raila Odinga and the emerging One Kenya alliance of four political rivals limit Ruto’s options.

While the President is again cosying up to Raila, Musalia Mudavadi (ANC), Kalonzo Musyoka (Wiper), Gideon Moi (Kanu) and Moses Wetang’ula of Ford Kenya are building a new 2022 political force.

There is talk the Uhuru-Raila axis could team up with the One Kenya alliance in a well-knit succession plan to block Ruto’s ascension to power, sending him to political oblivion — for the time being.

The President, who had seemed to be distancing himself from Raila, is now said to be best buddies with him again. He is also propping up the One Kenya Alliance in a juggling manoeuvre.

There had been increasing talk of a Raila-Ruto alliance, as both were being alienated by Uhuru’s operatives. Such an formidable alliance would complicate if not kill the strategy for Uhuru and the One Kenya Alliance.

What drove them together again — political affection or fear — is yet to be unravelled and told.

The President is expected to try to prevail upon Raila and the alliance to eventually join forces. 

This would undermine Ruto’s chances.

On Sunday, former Cabinet Minister Franklin Bett said the President was deliberately ‘juggling’ the One Kenya Alliance and Raila before he finally pushes them to the negotiating table.

The Building Bridges Initiative referendum is expected to approve the expansion of the national Executive, creating additional posts at the helm to be shared by the Raila and the One Kenya Alliance.

“I am seeing a situation where there will be negotiations between Raila and One Kenya with the President playing an active role in the background when the juggling settles,” he said.

Raila worked with Musalia, Kolonzo and Wetang’ula in the 2017 polls in the Nasa coalition.

However, the coalition appears to have collapsed — and exists mainly on paper — after the falling out in which Nasa principals accused Raila of deceit and conmanship.

Bett said that while it is too early to predict 2022 coalitions, “the Deputy President is walking a tightrope.

“Ruto is a lone ranger, it is quite tough for him going forward,” Bett said, insisting that his options are thinning out.

With limited options and without key regional bigwigs available for alliance building with him, the DP’s presidential ambitions could go up in smoke.

Initially, the One Kenya alliance triggered jitters in Raila’s camp, with his allies claiming the outfit was being propped up by some of the President’s men to thwart Raila’s 2022 fortunes.

However, with Ruto being the ‘common enemy’, the President’s secret night meeting with Raila at his Karen residence last week could have calmed the waters, leaving the DP even more estranged.

By The Star

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