Uhuru and Ruto face dilemma over wave of independents

Independent candidates supporting President Uhuru Kenyatta’s re-election bid when they met for strategy talks in Kasarani, Nairobi. [Photo: Jennifer Wachie/Standard]

The political force created by independent candidates in Central Kenya and Rift Valley has placed President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto at a crossroads, even as they prepare to hit the road in their re-election bid.

By uniting under the Kenya Association of Independent Candidates (KAIC) with the mighty display of numbers as was witnessed at Kasarani yesterday, the independent candidates were sending a message to Jubilee Party that they are a force which Uhuru and Ruto cannot ignore.

While on one hand the Jubilee leaders are keen to campaign for the party’s nominees to ensure they get numbers that can command the leadership of the Senate and the National Assembly, sources say they also see the independent candidates as crucial in mopping up votes, which would be crucial in determining the presidential vote, given the narrow margin with which Uhuru won the last elections.

Since some of the bigwigs in the group are close allies of Uhuru and Ruto, and considering that they also have deep pockets, the independent candidates appear to have created a dilemma for the two leaders who might have to change their campaign strategy.

In the last General Election, Uhuru was passionate in campaigning for candidates who had won the TNA nominations, arguing that he required the numbers in Parliament to push through Government agenda.

While it worked in 2013, sources told the Sunday Standard that Uhuru and Ruto are now being forced not to campaign for Jubilee nominees and can leave the voters in their strongholds to decide.

This was the strong message that the independent candidates delivered to the President at Kasarani yesterday, asking him not to endorse any candidate to avoid jeopardising the presidential campaign where he is seeking every available vote.

“We and the Jubilee nominees are like twins. The President should not be seen to favour any, more so because he needs to clinch the 50 plus one vote. That figure will only be achieved if the independent candidates supporting him are given as much space to woo voters as our Jubilee counterparts,” argued Tetu MP Ndung’u Gethenji, who is the interim secretary of the group.

Embrace group

“This (independents) is now the largest group of candidates. They number more than those presented by many political parties and anyone ignoring such a formidable group is naive, especially in the fight for the presidency where every vote now counts,” Kiambu Governor William Kabogo who has emerged as the leader of the independents, added.

Kabogo explained the need for Uhuru and Ruto to embrace their group, saying ignoring them could deal them a blow in their re-election bid. “These candidates have critical masses who follow them and they would only turn out to vote if their candidates are on the ballot. I don’t think the President and the deputy would ignore them when in the last election they won the presidency by slightly over 8,000 votes,” added the Kiambu Governor.

The group includes former Gatanga MP Peter Kenneth, who lost the Nairobi gubernatorial ticket to Mike Sonko. He has deep pockets to roll out a campaign which could be advantageous to the President.

In the Rift Valley, Zedekiah Bundotich is seen as a close ally of Ruto, and may not be easily ignored by Jubilee campaign strategists, given the well-oiled campaign he mounted while seeking the Uasin Gishu gubernatorial ticket.

Dagoretti South MP Dennis Waweru said Jubilee candidates have panicked as they know they can’t maintain the momentum because they rigged the primaries and don’t have enough resources.

The effect of the independent’s unity appears to have rattled the Jubilee nominees, hence their hastily planned strategy meeting in Nanyuki, under the guise of laying the ground for presidential campaigns in Central Kenya.

“What was the purpose of dissolving our parties to join Jubilee if the people we defeated in the nominations are all back in the ballot as independent candidates. The President should be candid enough and tell the electorate to vote for Jubilee nominees, otherwise he risks not having the numbers in Parliament,” said an aspirant.

Political analyst Prof Macharia Munene said: “We are not likely to see the type of campaigns we are used to where the presidential candidates speak openly in support of a six-piece suit voting pattern in their strongholds.”