Battle lines between Jubilee and CORD drawn, who’ll laugh last?

NAIROBI: Arguably, the Jubilee coalition brigade has no beef with the Opposition. Essentially, judging by the intensity of political activities in the recent past, the predominantly pro-opposition areas have been receiving a lot of attention from Jubilee as it covets their support in 2017 to demonstrate it was not simply catapulted to the zenith of the country’s leadership by what some people in 2013 believed, from where they stood, was a biased Supreme Court.

President Uhuru Kenyatta spent an entire month at the Coast; whether as the President discharging his national duties or the leader of the Jubilee coalition trying to break CORD’s stranglehold is not clear. Nonetheless, there were loud grumbles on matters of land, and an upcoming bi-election in Malindi.

To show his magnanimity, the President donated part of the Kenyatta family’s vast tracts of land at the Coast to squatter families. He then gave title deeds to other squatters on what is popularly known as the Waitiki farm.

Earlier, Deputy President William Ruto was in the Western region where at some point he exchanged barbed words with the matador from Isukha; Senator Bonny Khalwale of Kakamega County. What I objected to most about that encounter was Mr Ruto’s little regard for the bull-fighting culture. Don’t get me wrong, but he urged the Luhya to scorn bull fighting and rear cows that produce milk and meat as a way of keeping in touch with modernity. Shortly afterwards, delegations of some leaders went to pay homage to the deputy president at his home in Eldoret. The aftermath will make or break some leaders.

Reacting to the President’s long stay at the Coast, the Opposition leaders boasted they needed only one day to unravel gains made in a year of work by Jubilee. That smacked of over-confidence. It sounded condescending even, but that is politics for you; the bloodier the opponent’s nose, the more acolytes you get.

Needless to say, Jubilee acknowledged major headache is simply ‘baba’, or Raila Amollo Odinga. This ‘malignant tumour’ growing on Jubilee is the genesis of the insomnia-induced migraine suffered by some individuals. Jubilee’s doctors have prescribed the antidote called ‘suing’, but it has been ineffective, not for want of trying, but because it is the wrong medication. The wrong drug regime is informed by an unexplained morbid phobia of Raila who has not only been chipping away at Government, but at Mr Ruto.

William Ruto’s departure from ODM to join hands with Uhuru Kenyatta in 2012 seemed to have weakened ODM. For some time, Mr Ruto positioned himself as the de facto Kalenjin supremo and nearly pulled it off, but his deportment stood in his way. First, he disdainfully refused to acknowledge the resurgence of Kanu after years of lying low.

In his estimation too, ODM was kaput. Next, his utterances pointedly took on a patronising assertiveness. “The President and I” became his cliché, leaving no doubt where other leaders stood in the equation. He stepped on some toes by appearing to subtly demand an unquestioning, subservient loyalty to his authority.

He even appeared to impose his ideologies on URP leaders from his backyard. Did they have to pay obeisance to him? It was that attitude that sparked off the political row with Bomet Governor Isaac Ruto and led to a parting of ways.

From that point, Jubilee has had to contend with not only a revitalised Opposition making hay out of its shortcomings, but internal rebellion within its ranks. The coalition is not united despite shows to the contrary; some leaders view each other with suspicion while eyeing the inner circle.

Look at Governor William Kabogo and Ferdinand Waititu. Look at Governor Peter Munya and Senator Kiraitu Murungi, and counting.

Another pointer is the refusal by some political parties within TNA to break Jubilee Alliance Party to form the Jubilee Party as a single entity. As for the United Republican Party, it is a ramshackle, precariously leaning house that is in danger of completely going over.

It is perhaps because of this that Mr William Ruto is keen on unscrambling URP to join a single entity and save himself the embarrassment of leading a derelict party; more of a liability to Jubilee. Unfortunately, Governor Isaac Ruto of Bomet and his comrades will not make it easy for him and the Deputy President appears to have somehow toned down and changed tack.

Has Mr William Ruto seen his dream of effortlessly ascending to the presidency in 2022 while riding on the solid support of his tribesmen and Central Kenya go up in smoke as he loses traction with the weight of sordid allegations against him, mudslinging, rebellion in the Rift Valley and an onslaught on the government by the opposition dragging him down?

Is that what led him to entertain the idea of holding delegations at his home; reminiscent of the Kanu days? Indications are that the Deputy President is no longer sure of the ground on which he stands, and must have pressed the panic button.