Some of the forces keen to deny DP Ruto presidency

Almost every politician who lost in the recent Jubilee nominations has now turned to blaming Deputy President William Ruto for their loss.

Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero and his Independent opponent Peter Kenneth have also joined the fray. They accuse Jubilee’s Mike Sonko of being a Ruto puppet.

Kidero says that Ruto wants to rule Nairobi, Nakuru, and Kericho through proxy governors. Meru Governor Peter Munya has equally accused Jubilee’s Kiraitu Murungi of being a Ruto proxy.

Even Kiambu Governor William Kabogo sees Ruto’s hand in his political woes. Many politicians are scared that Ruto is on a mission, through Kenyatta’s re-election bid, of laying firm ground for his own ascendancy to power by planting friendly-puppet candidates everywhere.Given the unpredictable nature of Kenyan politics where all vice presidents, save for former President Daniel Moi, have not managed to rise to the Presidency, we could be seeing the beginning of the same dynamics of succession politics unfolding to ensure Ruto does not succeed President Uhuru Kenyatta in 2022.

Pundits now argue that it is within this background that we also need to read the reality of too many independent candidates, especially in Mt Kenya region, and why the crowds are rejecting the call by Uhuru to vote six-piece for Jubilee.

This dilemma also saw Uhuru campaigning alone without his number two in Kisii and Nyamira. But politics being a game of numbers, it is Ruto’s right as a stakeholder in Jubilee and Kenyan politics, to seek power.

The only question is whether resistance by independents will stop the deputy president’s plan to influence the direction of post Uhuru succession politics.