PRESIDENT UHURU CLASHES WITH DP WILLIAM RUTO

Deputy President William Ruto has rolled out an intense charm offensive to counter ODM boss Raila Odinga’s fortunes in President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Central Kenya turf.

The Star has established that Ruto will lead his Kenya Kwanza team for a six-day blitz in Central, culminating in a grand reception of Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria who will be returning home from hospital in Dubai on Saturday.

Incidentally, Uhuru will be touring the region starting next week to campaign against his deputy.

The President has scheduled a meeting with Mt Kenya elected leaders at Sagana State Lodge next week where he is expected to unveil his campaigns for Raila.

The tour comes days after Uhuru held a meeting with hundreds of youths from Mt Kenya at State House, Nairobi.

The visit takes place against the backdrop of a major rebranding plan of Uhuru’s Jubilee Party, which has already changed its logo and slogan in final divorce with Ruto.

Ruto is expected to use the tour to assuage jitters among United Democratic Alliance members that the nominations would be rigged and that candidates are already predetermined.

Setting the stage for the showdown, Uhuru is said to be planning regional meets across the country to campaign for Raila.

On Sunday, Mathira MP Rigathi Gachagua told the Star that the DP will camp in Central Kenya for a weeklong visit to rally the region behind his bottom-up economic model.

“It is true the Deputy President will in the whole of this week pitch camp in Central Kenya to interact with his supporters and market his bottom-up economic model,” the Ruto ally said.

The MP dismissed Uhuru’s efforts to influence his succession, saying the region has already decided to support Ruto for president.

“We are not worried with his deals, we are with the people,” he said.

The tour is also billed as a reception ceremony for Kuria back into Kenya Kwanza as Ruto seeks to firm up his grip on the President’s turf.

Kenya Kwanza brings together Ruto’s UDA, Musalia Mudavadi’s ANC and Ford Kenya’s Moses Wetang’ula.

Kuria, the leader of Chama Cha Kazi party, is set to return this week after 137 days of hospitalisation following an accident last year that left him immobile with third-degree burns on his feet.

The MP told the Star that his family and friends will hold a prayer rally for him at the Thika Green Stadium on Saturday, where he is expected to declare his political stand as well.

Juja parliamentary aspirant Karanja Ngarachu confirmed that the DP will be in Kiambu on Saturday at Thika Green Stadium for Kuria’s big day.

The DP’s trip comes at a time when key Uhuru allies from Mt Kenya, including majority of the governors, are supporting Raila’s Azimio La Umoja movement.

Analysts have said the DP must garner over 80 of the Mt Kenya votes and replicate Jubilee’s performance in 2013 and 2017 to beat Raila.

In 2013 and 2017, Uhuru in a joint ticket with Ruto swept Mt Kenya votes, securing an average of 95 per cent of the votes from all the region’s 10 counties, including Nakuru.

However, there have been concerns that Raila’s backing by Mt Kenya tycoons and political bigwigs has neutralised Ruto’s popularity in the vote-rich region.

With the President expected to step out to market Raila, Ruto’s fortunes might plummet ahead of the August polls.

An opinion poll conducted by Radio Africa Group last month suggested Ruto’s popularity in the region now stands at 59.8 per cent against Raila’s 25.1 per cent.

In Central Kenya counties, Raila got less than two per cent of the votes in 2013, except in cosmopolitan Kiambu where he secured 7.8 per cent

On Monday, Ruto will be hosted by Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga while on Tuesday he will tour Anne Waiguru’s Kirinyaga county.

The DP enjoys the support of the Waiguru, Kahiga and Tharaka Nithi’s Muthomi Njuki while eight governors from the region support Raila’s presidential bid.

On Wednesday, Ruto is expected to lead his Kenya Kwanza team for an extensive tour of Murang’a county.

United Democratic Alliance aspirant Edward Muriu said that the DP will tour Gatanga, Kandara and Maragua constituencies.

“The DP will have stopovers at Junction market, Kakuzi Mitubiri ward, Kagaku market, Ithanga ward and several towns in the Gatanga constituency,” Muriu said.

On Thursday and Friday Ruto will scour Embu and Laikipia counties in an effort to consolidate his support in the region.

The DP will also use the opportunity to introduce his new partners, Musalia and Wetang’ula, to other parts of Central Kenya.

He held his first rally with the duo in Kirinyaga last month.

The DP will also have a rally at Kenol town in Maragua and market his party.

Maragua MP Mary Wamaua is a staunch supporter of Azimio la Umoja.

Analysts will be closely monitoring Ruto’s messaging and if he will sustain his ballistic rhetoric against Uhuru as he has done in other regions.

Political analyst Andrew Maringa said that the DP’s latest attack on Uhuru has angered leaders from Mt Kenya.

He said that the DP might tone down his verbal attacks to show that he has nothing against his boss even after last week’s outbursts.

“The Deputy President strategically casts himself as a subservient follower of the President while in Mount Kenya region, presumably so as not to antagonize the Head of State’s supporters while still enchanting his ‘Hustler’ supporters in the region,” he said.

Already Uhuru has stepped up to vigorously take charge of his succession battle, saying although he has one vote he can influence his followers to vote against Ruto.

On Friday, Uhuru met young people from Mt Kenya counties such as Nakuru, Laikipia, Meru, Nyeri, Kiambu, Nyandarua, Murang’a, Embu and Tharaka Nithi.

During the meeting at State House, the youths chanted ‘Yote yawezekana bila Ruto!’ as the President cheered on.

The comments appear to have irked DP, who upped his anti-Odinga rhetoric while taking on the President during his entire Western region tour over the weekend.

Ruto has termed Raila a state project and political puppet being pushed by Uhuru and the elite to protect their wealth.

“They are obsessed with managing their succession but I want to tell them that we are ready for that contest my friends, bring it on. Tuko tayari kabisa,” Ruto said.

Mt Kenya governors have vowed to turn the tables on Ruto as they intensify campaigns for Raila.

Governors who support Raila include Francis Kimemia (Nyandarua), Lee Kinyanjui (Nakuru), James Nyoro (Kiambu), Nderitu Muriithi (Laikipia), Martin Wambora(Embu) and Meru’s Kiraitu Murungi.

Murang’a Governor Mwangi Wa Iria is eyeing the presidency.

Courtesy The Star