Ruto’s options in the race to secure top seat

As he mounts a spirited fight to seize full control of the Jubilee Party, Deputy President William Ruto is also keeping other options open to manoeuvre obstacles meant to stop his march to the State House.

On Saturday, his lieutenants said they will continue piling pressure on party officials perceived to be leaning on the side of President Uhuru Kenyatta to force them out.

They cited Friday “victory” that saw the Registrar of Political Parties Anne Nderitu decline to approve the list of new members of the National Management Committee (NMC) that had been forwarded to her by the party secretary-general Raphael Tuju.

But even as they do this, at least two parties are on standby in case the war within Jubilee protracts, and ends up eating into DP’s time to woo voters across the country.

Some in DP’s camp feel keeping him busy is part of the plot, which they warn must be avoided.

As part of the initiative to spread his risks, United Green Party (UGP) and Grand Dream Development Party (GDDP) have been fully registered.

MPs Cornelly Serem (Aldai), Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei, Oscar Sudi (Kapseret) and Caleb Kositany (Soi) are some of the politicians linked to the two outfits.

In 2018, Senator Cherargei let his guard down when he said, “We are thinking of a new vehicle ahead of 2022. We cannot work with saboteurs; we cannot work with those who think they can block DP’s 2022 bid. We can’t work with our enemies.”

IMMINENT IMPLOSION

Jubilee Vice-Chairman David Murathe last week castigated the DP and his allies.

“There is no way Tuju can purport to make changes in the party without first making reference to the party leader. These fellows are wasting time, instead of collecting signatures from over five million Jubilee members to support their case, they have resorted to making noise on social media,” he said.

Were this to happen, it would not be the first time the DP is losing such a fight. In 2011, he lost control of UDM before settling for URP ahead of forming an alliance with Mr Kenyatta’s TNA in 2012.

Party-hopping is not just unique to the DP. President Kenyatta was once in Kanu; had a brief sojourn in ODM before creating TNA, and now Jubilee.

ODM leader Raila Odinga, after ditching Ford-Kenya, led NDP, LDP, besides crafting a number of alliances such as Rainbow coalition in 2002, Cord in 2013 and Nasa in 2017 with other players.

But on Saturday, Mr Kositany denied knowledge of the two parties, insisting that they will fight from within.

“One thing that they (Uhuru’s camp) need to know is that our option one is Jubilee, option two is Jubilee and option three is Jubilee.”

“It’s them who have ODM, Wiper, ANC — they have many options and we have three options in one,” he said.

The Sunday Nation has learnt that, tactfully, by coming out to wage the war that saw him personally write to Ms Nderitu on the NMC list, the DP does not want to give his competitors and detractors in the party an impression that he is considering other options other than running for president through the ruling party.

FOCUS ON PANDEMIC

The profound concern in Dr Ruto's camp, however, is that adopting a new party not only denies them one that already has the face of the country but also forces him to dig deep into his pockets to aggressively market it with the election year fast approaching.

An insider said that given this reality, their boss is keen to keep Jubilee ahead of the next General Election.

Lang’ata MP Nixon Korir, a close ally of the DP, told the Sunday Nation that his boss had ruled out the option of leaving the party for another one.

“We are happy by the decision taken by the registrar. We are not going anywhere. We formed this party, and whoever thinks we’ll leave it to them are in for a rude shock,” he said.

Mathira MP Rigathi Gachagua holds the same view. “Those of us who support the DP have three options: they all involve staying and fighting from within. We are sure to win because we are the majority.”

The lawmaker said that at the tail end of Mr Kenyatta’s presidency, more leaders will openly speak their mind.

“This is a democratic party. The days people would use the president’s name to intimidate others are long gone.”

Mr Gachagua, however, suggested that all factions should now put on hold party issues until coronavirus is dealt with.

“After that, we can follow the party law to convene a meeting of Jubilee organs and make decisions,” added the Mathira MP.

NEW ALLIANCES

Dr Ruto has publicly ruled out the option of resigning from government to focus on his presidential campaigns.

He is well aware that doing so would not only make him more vulnerable to more frustrations by those in power but could also expose him to prosecution for one reason or the other.

Without the cap of the DP, it would for example be easy to ask him to record a statement on the numerous issues that have been associated with his office.

A number of Kieleweke MPs have incessantly called for his resignation.

Until recently, the second in command had been using proxies to fight his wars in Jubilee, but when he realised he was on the verge of losing his grip on the crucial NMC, the DP tossed himself up to the battlefield baffling observers.

Crafting new alliances is also in the cards. While it is obvious that the DP was always going to reach out for support beyond the primary Jubilee zones of central and Rift Valley, he is leaving open the possibility of working with some of the unlikely players in the next elections.

A member of his kitchen cabinet said, “What makes you think we can’t for instance team up with Raila in 2022? This is politics my friend.”

Then there are those at Harambee House Annex who strongly feel the DP needs to ‘mend fences’ with the president to keep his State House ambition alive.

MEND FENCES

Last month, a vocal MP approached the DP with the proposal to send elders to the House on the hill to restore their relationship with Mr Kenyatta to where it was before the Head of State hammered a truce with Mr Odinga, his fierce rival in the last two polls. They are still mulling the idea.

Political commentator Macharia Munene thinks it is in the country and DP’s best interest that they make up with the president.

“The two need to sit down and agree on the way forward and avoid unnecessary tension in the country. The outbreak of Covid-19 has shown that people who were at loggerheads before can actually work together; they should do the same,” he said.

Bungoma Senator Moses Wetang’ula echoes the same. “While we cannot force them to work in harmony, their body chemistry must be nurtured and guarded with zeal, lest real or imagined cracks between them are used to destroy our national cohesion, or for individuals to make political capital for personal gain,” he says.

Dr Godwin Siundu, another analyst said, “Toning down the rhetoric would be a win-win. While it will allow the president and his handler’s time and peace for their flagship projects, the DP will also get ample time to reorganise his troops for the battle ahead.”

BALANCING ACT

A reconciliation would mean stopping his forays in central Kenya, the president’s own backyard. One of the poorly kept secret in Jubilee is that the DP’s move to inherit Mt Kenya while Mr Kenyatta is still in power has never sat well with the commander-in-chief.

Prof Munene said the DP should thank the Constitution, which secured his position.

“Were it not for it, he would have been long fired. Of course the same law is a headache for Uhuru’s handlers who think he is a stumbling block for their boss and their own desires,” he said.

It is difficult being William Ruto. He must unleash members of the war council to remind his enemies that he can mount a lethal fight to get what he has trained his eyes on, while at the same time reassure the president that he is a loyal and dependable deputy.

It must indeed be a delicate balancing act for the man from Sugoi.