DP’s bid for State House now gets noisy, messier

Braving hostile crowds in Isiolo yesterday, Deputy President William Ruto was this weekend crossing into the toughest week yet as pressure continued to pile on him.

Having hit the road earlier than anyone else, expending energy and resources for political mobilisation, swimming against the tide and concentrating his activities in President Uhuru Kenyatta’s backyard, Ruto’s years of political exploits are facing an acid test.

On Friday, President Kenyatta dared Ruto to quit the government if he was uncomfortable with it, accusing him of undermining his own government.

Uhuru’s statement came days after he said he will not hand over power to “a thief”.

Ruto’s political fallout with the president has seen him lose control of Jubilee Party, the National Assembly and the Senate. These losses that could have left him wounded and limping politically.

President Kenyatta’s verbal attack on his deputy came even as an attempt to introduce a Motion of impeachment by Musalia Mudavadi’s Amani National Congress (ANC) flopped.

Ruto has repeatedly said there are people keen to put roadblocks on his path to succeed his boss and argued that he has God and the people on his side.

Ruto is a relentless politician, but how he decides to face the storm directed his way by his boss will determine the trajectory the politics will take.

“Ruto is a shrewd and focused politician, he knows what he wants and goes for it,” said political analyst Javas Bigambo.

His hustler nation narrative, which seeks to win over the poor and the unemployed, is resonating well with a section of Kenyans who view him as their spokesperson.

But it has also won him haters, including his boss, who views it as polarising and inciting.

Ruto’s critics have argued that he is a corrupt, restless and conceited politician who knows how to excite crowds but is currently setting the pace ahead of the real presidential contest in 2022.

“When one is running 42km alone, you can see you are in front but when the bell will be ringing, you discover things on the ground are different.

“The DP is a peace-setter. The real runners are still getting ready,” said Kieni MP Kanini Kega, who is Uhuru’s ally.

His Nyeri Town counterpart, Ngunjiri Wambugu, accused Ruto of being an impatient politician who is his own enemy.

“History has taught us. 17 months is a long time in Kenya’s political landscape. He should not assume he is the only presidential candidate. Six months should define that,” he said.

“He is conflicted because he is the DP at the same time a presidential aspirant. The cases he is facing as well as his allies are personal responsibilities.”

Not deterred, Ruto has moved ahead with his quest, relinquishing a possible endorsement by President Kenyatta and is firmly walking a different path.

Where he lost control of Jubilee Party, he moved ahead to rebrand the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party that has fielded aspirants in all the upcoming by-elections across the country.

Alongside UDA, Ruto has built networks with seven other small political parties to avert any fallout.

Apart from UDA, Kadu Asili and CCM, Ruto is working with Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria’s People’s Empowerment Party (PEP), former Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mwangi Kiunjuri’s The Service Party (TSP), and Muungano Party which is associated with Makueni Governor Kivutha Kibwana.

Others are People’s Democratic Party (PDP) associated with former South Mugirango MP Omingo Magara, New Democrats Party and Ugenya MP David Ochieng’s Movement for Democracy and Growth (MDG).

The impeachment Motion debacle was informed by the fear of its failure. MPs from other parties, including those bitterly opposed to him, got cold feet.

Both Jubilee secretary general Raphael Tuju and his ODM counterpart Edwin Sifuna distanced themselves from the impeachment move.

Insiders however argue that such a move to oust Ruto would require numbers which the proponents could not easily marshal.

For a DP to be impeached, the mover must get two thirds approval in the National Assembly of 349 MPs.

Duale dared ANC deputy party leader Ayub Savula to make good his threat and table the Motion.

He scoffed at Savula’s purported signatures, saying the process is  serious business and not  for people who execute it in funerals and pubs.

“The procedure of removal of the DP is a serious business. It is not for the likes of Savula. There are three grounds; gross violation of the Constitution and national and international law and gross misconduct,” said Duale.

“This is something that can only be pulled off by an MP like me who is a patron for the ASAL region with over 105 MPs to impeach the president or the DP.

“Savula should stop executing this impeachment in social joints. I dare him to table this matter on Tuesday in the House if he is man enough.”