Ruto woos Luhya leaders as he eyes 2022 elections

Deputy President William Ruto is keen to project the former Western Province as an appendage of his Rift Valley stronghold in his power play with President Uhuru Kenyatta, eyes fixed mainly on the 2022 presidential elections.

Save for his home turf, he has arguably made more trips to Bungoma, Trans Nzoia, Vihiga, Kakamega and Busia counties than to any other region in Kenya.

On Tuesday, he met a delegation of about 2,500 people from the “Mulembe Nation” as part of a charm offensive at his Sugoi home. He bankrolled the trip.

Those familiar with the discussions held in private told the Sunday Nation that the DP tasked Bungoma Governor Ken Lusaka, and Irrigation Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa to work on a scheme to bring the region to the Jubilee fold. The region largely voted for opposition chief Raila Odinga in 2013.

With statistics indicating that, depending on how well they register as voters, the Luhya Nation could in 2017 upstage the dominant Kikuyu community, the stakes cannot be any higher. 

The DP has largely been inspired by lack of a unifying figure in the region. But he will have to contend with a resurgent ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi, who has been attacking the government on an array of issues for some time now, and his Ford Kenya counterpart and Cord leader Moses Wetang’ula.

Mr Mudavadi has been traversing the region asking members of the community to register as voters and cast them as a bloc.

He says: “As long as the perception that the DP is against the community lingers, he is being taken for a ride by those who queue at his office... “Some (MPs) have lost considerable ground due to that association.”

Lugari MP Ayub Savula observes that, with the view that the government was out to stifle local sugar millers, the mission that Mr Ruto had set on would be arduous.

“He (DP) is trying so much to convince the residents to rally behind him but it will not be easy. The recent row on sugar importation has dented Jubilee’s credibility here. Furthermore, Cord has a strong presence in Western region,” he said.

Mr Ruto’s decision to tour the region to re-assure farmers in the face of raging debate on cheap sugar imports from Uganda in August has been cited by observers as a demonstration of how dear he holds the area.

Mr Ruto camped in Busia and Kakamega and urged residents to ignore “propaganda” being spread by opposition figures led by ODM boss Odinga that the government did not have their welfare at heart.

Some of his key lieutenants told the Sunday Nation that the two blocs (Rift Valley and Western) were better off championing the same political cause since they had a lot in common.

The DP’s ally and Elgeyo Marakwet Senator, Mr Kipchumba Murkomen, downplays the political chess games but confirms the intention of the DP to bring the Luhya community closer, pointing to existing commonalities.

“Our voting patterns were similar during the days of Moi (retired President Daniel arap Moi). The issues affecting our people, mainly related to farming, cut across borders. The intermarriage of Trans-Nzoia and Uasin Gishu has also brought the two closer,” he said, adding that they stand to achieve more by co-operating on socio-political and economic matters.

When Mr Kenyatta in June presented a Sh1 billion bailout cheque to Mumias Sugar Company, which has financial problems, Mr Ruto wowed the crowd with his mastery of the names of roads earmarked for tarmacking and hamlets in Kakamega county, perhaps to show that he identifies with their problems.

Some of his detractors in TNA say that, to preserve the political equation with TNA, Mr Ruto has always accompanied the President to Western. There is even talk that he wanted to present the Mumias cheque himself but State House operatives overruled him.

The opposition has accused the Jubilee administration of turning a blind eye to the plight of cane farmers.

Even before the sugar deal, Mr Ruto had met key politicians from the region, both at his Harambee House annex offices and at private locations, to strategise on how best to forge a common political direction.

Mumias East MP Benjamin Washiali, who is also the government deputy chief whip, is said to be Mr Ruto’s contact person in the endeavour. His elevation to UDF party leader is seen as an attempt to give him more clout in the region.

It also emerged that he was instrumental in winning over some MPs to Jubilee’s side. Indeed, although these leaders were sponsored by opposition parties to Parliament, they are now gravitating towards the government.

Mr Washiali expresses optimism that Jubilee’s strategy of initiating development projects in Western region will pay off.

“Our people would not be so blind as to forget who has brought these mega projects. Not even the previous regime did that. Jubilee has shown the will to revive our floundering economy and foster cohesion,” Mr Washiali said after chairing a meeting of UDF officials in Nairobi on Friday. The meeting’s agenda was the planned merger of Jubilee affiliated parties.

Mr Ruto has attended a number of public functions, church services and fundraisers in Luhyaland. Whereas his immediate plan is to boost the numbers for Mr Kenyatta’s re-election in 2017, the real deal is the post-Kenyatta era when Mr Ruto is expected to vie for the presidency in 2022.

The opinion in URP is that a consolidated Western-Rift Valley bloc would see Mr Ruto negotiate with other parts of the country in settling on an ideal running mate in the post-Kenyatta era.

So far, Tharaka-Nithi Senator Kithure Kindiki has declared his intention to vie for the deputy presidency with Mr Ruto.

The current situation contrasts with the period preceding the 2013 polls when Jubilee didn’t pay much attention to Western region and relied mainly on individuals who did not command much support on the ground.