Some have guts, others gaffes, but Ruto is a rhino in riot gear

By Denis Galava

Which is worse: a William Ruto who really believes what he says, or a Ruto who says anything for a cheap burst of applause?

The past two weeks have been Ruto-week, and like a people waking up to a daily circus, Ruto has been stuck smack in our faces.

If he is not fighting Moreno-Ocampo-inspired ghosts, he is on the screens and airwaves celebrating the powers of primitive loyalty. He is fighting on many fronts and taking on just about anybody, making him the face of intractable governance conflict.

But that is not why I am miffed. The chap has a way of turning the most mundane things into a contest of wills between ‘his people’ and the Government. Where many would hesitate to tread, Ruto charges through like a rhino.

The Eldoret North MP has single-handedly divided the Cabinet and eclipsed Kibaki and Raila more than anything or any other person.

We should include Ruto among the contentious issues in the law review.

When he first stoked the embers in the Mau conundrum after the Cabinet retreat, I thought the chap wanted to sink with the whole country. There was talk of politicians running scared as The Hague noose tightened, but Ruto has stuck to his script and some politicians are falling into his trap.

The Vice-President, Cabinet ministers, and 50 MPs have thrown their lot with him.

The more the numbers swell the more it appears that he has a narrative to his tale.

And this is what worries me. Ruto is boorish, and tougher than a rhino in riot gear. He has stood up to his party leader Raila Odinga and won, in word and deed. In word, he has reserved choice adjectives for Raila.

In deed, he has always had the last laugh in every dispute, from the maize scandal to creation of a local tribunal to try post-poll chaos suspects. To parody British journalist Piers Morgan, Ruto is the ultimate proof that in politics, self-belief and self-confidence are self-fulfilling prophecies.

It is apparent that Team Ruto finds relevance in teasing Team Raila and as the fallout intensifies, we should expect more dark secrets to be spewed.

The other day, Ruto’s allies said ODM did not really win the elections. Soon, we might get to know who planned and financed which dark deed, where.

Ruto says the fight is not personal: It’s about principle and integrity. Raila thinks it is too provincial for him to comment on. Both have a point, but none is being honest.

Ruto is a man at war with himself. In the last two elections Ruto was a prominent member of the losing teams. In 2002, his hopes sunk with Uhuru’s defeat. He retreated to the backbench and occasional court trips to lick his wounds and eventually dumped Uhuru and Kanu for ODM where, for a while, he seemed to have a soft spot for a Kalonzo Musyoka presidency over Raila’s. But the Rift Valley masses were for Raila and he took the cue.

And support Raila he did, only to suffer another defeat at the hands of the disbanded Electoral Commission in 2007.

In 2003, his instinctive reaction was to re-energise Kanu as his vehicle to power. He was elected secretary-general in 2005, but when he lost the dream, he decamped. Last year, after coming to terms with ODM’s loss, he forced the party to create two posts of deputy party leader to edge closer to the top.

Now that he is convinced the queue in ODM is too long, he is looking for a shortcut to the summit.

To get the ultimate prize, he must muddy the waters for Raila by turning Team Uhuru and Team Kalonzo into his attack dogs. Eventually, when the job is done, he will turn against Uhuru and Kalonzo, whom he has dumped before with little loss.

This is the narrative behind claims that Rift Valley MPs are upset with Raila over the Mau evictions. If truth were told, the evictions have presented Team Ruto with a perfect cassock to clothe their puerile fixation with instant gratification.

We should not condemn the Joshua Kutunys, Isaac Rutos, Franklin Betts and Charles Keters of this world. Every populist needs buffoons to cheer him on and Ruto seems spoilt for choice.

Perhaps in the fullness of time, ‘their people’ might realise that populism not only stirs prejudice against outsiders, it also exploits the very people whose grievances it claims to vent. Until then we should ignore the nonsense about the Mau debacle being about alliances for 2012 General Election or justice for the evictees.

It’s about Ruto being tops.

So, back to the beginning: Which is more dangerous: A Ruto who believes in what he says or one who just acts to work up the crowds?

—The writer (galava@standardmedia.co.ke) is Senior Associate Editor, Weekend Editions