William Ruto goes against his word, woos MPs-elect to join Kenya Kwanza

President-elect William Ruto with United Democratic Movement (UDM) leaders led by Ali Roba at his Karen residence, Nairobi. [DPPS, Standard] Barely a week after he was declared winner of the August 9 presidential election, William Ruto is busy wooing rivals through handshakes - the very thing he has frowned upon since 2018. Soon after the results were out, Ruto was quick to rule out reaching out to rivals, least of all his main rival, Azimio's Raila Odinga. During a press conference at Bomas of Kenya, the president-elect said he was determined to work with his rivals in their official capacity and run a government under checks and balances. "I will work with my competitors in the role that the Constitution assigns the people in the opposition. They will provide oversight over my government and I intend to work with them in that capacity," said Ruto. Ruto has previously argued that political agreements compromise democracy through negotiations that result in a government that does not pass the accountability test. Citing the last four years, Ruto dismissed the handshake between President Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila, arguing it had resulted in a "mongrel of a government where no one knows who is in the Executive and who is in the opposition." "I never believed in the handshake stories. I believe in democracy. I believe in a government that has checks and balances. When you have a government that does not have the opposition, you have the very high risk of having a government that is not accountable, precisely what we have seen over the last four years." In the last five days, however, Ruto has been on a charm offensive that has unsettled the political scene as it is characterised by his own handshakes with rivals and opposition MPs. When Kenya Kwanza held its parliamentary caucus on August 17, eight of the 12 independent candidates in the 13th Parliament, promised to work with Kenya Kwanza Alliance. A day later, on Thursday, Ruto went a step further and convinced United Democratic Movement (UDM) leadership to abandon Azimio. Hung Parliament UDM has one elected governor, two senators and seven MPs, numbers that will be a major boost to Ruto and Kenya Kwanza in a hung Parliament. Through his Twitter account, outgoing Tharaka Nithi Senator Kithure Kindiki revealed that Kenya Kwanza was already engaging 28 MPs elected on Jubilee party with a view of forming a working relationship. Although it was dismissed by secretary general Jeremiah Kioni, the mere mention of a deal between Kenya Kwanza and Jubilee could be too painful for Uhuru, who apart from being the party leader, is still smarting from the humiliation he was subjected to by United Democratic Alliance (UDA) in his Mt Kenya backyard. Political scientist Moses Makwata said by pushing for his own handshakes, the move brings out the double speak inherent in the President-elect's political behavior. "He is a master of double speak and has a way of speaking to multiple audiences at the same time," said Makwata, referring to Ruto's actions in the last one week. Makwata argues that Ruto's actions are more inclined to control the after-poll narrative through ways that will legitimise his controversial win in the presidential race. President Uhuru is yet to publicly comment on the conduct of the poll , perhaps, because Raila has already vowed to challenge Ruto's win in the Supreme Court hence the need to await the outcome of the petition. "Ruto is using these moves to create new facts on the ground. Luring MPs to his side is meant to normalise what happened at the election and show the world that he is in charge and already moving forward," noted Makwata. He went on: "The moves are also strategic. Ruto is looking ahead such that in the event of a re-run all the people he has lured to his side will work for him to secure victory." Lawyer Donald Kipkorir warned Kenyans that they may eventually pay for the defections as the moves do not bode well for the future of the country's democracy. "Engineered defections of MPs who are yet to even take up their seats to UDA/Kenya Kwanza bodes ill for Kenya's future," the lawyer tweeted late Friday night. "Defections undermine the very substratum of our democracy. Few may get excited with the defections but will rue in the long run." Having secured an assurance from nearly 20 MPs-elect, Ruto has taken the Kenya Kwanza strength in the National Assembly close to a super majority that could help have an easy ride in the House if the Supreme Court affirms he won the hotly-contested presidential election. "Ruto was never opposed to the handshake. He only fell out with it after he realised it was Uhuru's tool to favour Raila in the succession. He saw Uhuru and Raila handshake as a roadblock to his own ambition that is why he opposed it," said Joram Omufwoko, a lawyer. Cases in point are Ruto's own handshake with Uhuru in 2012 and with Raila ahead of the 2007 election. And ahead of this year's contest, Ruto also reached out to, among others, ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi and Ford Kenya's Moses Wetangu'la. Interfere with democracy "Going back in time, evidence doesn't support Ruto as anti-political deals. The issue is whether the agreement serves his purpose," said Omufwoko. The Azimio coalition and Jubilee party have condemned the president elect accusing him of clawing back the democratic gains the country has made in the last few years. "Ruto is in a deliberate attempt to interfere with democracy and take back the nation to the old days of dictatorship by seeking to muzzle the independence of the legislature," Azimio la Umoja coalition said in a statement that was signed by its presidential campaign spokesman Makau Mutua. "We know he wants to create propaganda to give the impression that he is the inevitable victor," Mutua added.

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