How DP Ruto has prematurely disowned his Tangatanga brigade

A video clip of West Pokot youths on a roadshow drumming up support for Deputy President William Ruto’s election as president in 2022 is doing the rounds on social media.

The caravan is bedecked with a banner boldly proclaiming, “Vijana West Pokot for Ruto 2022-2032 Tumeamua”.

Despite supporters of Dr Ruto insisting that they had not defied President Uhuru Kenyatta’s call to stop premature campaigns for 2022, the clip appears to be just what the doctor ordered for rivals of the deputy president.

Aware of the damage such organised groups could cause in his relationship with Mr Kenyatta, Dr Ruto moved quickly to disown them.

“Such activities are being sponsored by our enemies to drive a wedge between the Deputy President and the President,” an insider was quoted by The Nation soon after Dr Ruto released a statement distancing himself from politicians and groups purporting to be campaigning for him to become Kenya’s fifth President come 2022.

Critics found that line hard to sell, saying Dr Ruto had bowed to mounting pressure to call out his lieutenants or risk losing the goodwill of the President and the Jubilee Party, an influential factor in the succession.

“At no time has the Deputy President approved, canvassed or engaged in any other (sic) form of preparation for a presidential or other campaign after the last presidential election.

“Secondly, he does not, and has never approved, consented to or supported haphazard, sketchy, messy, premature political canvassing,” read the statement released by his press secretary David Mugonyi warning political players not to invoke his name in their activities.

The statement was met with disbelief among his supporters and rivals alike but was in line with the views of some pundits who said he should take a tactical retreat in the face of the uncertainties of the political terrain since the handshake between President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga.

“The Deputy President is a democrat and believes that campaigning must be done at the appropriate time, in an organised, systematic manner,” the statement read.

This is despite Dr Ruto making more than 400 trips to various parts of the country in the past year on “development tours”.

During those rallies, politicians accompanying him have rooted for his 2022 presidency.

He has, during the rallies, taken contrasting stances — not mentioning the politics at all, saying he would seek the Jubilee nomination to vie for the presidency, that he has Mr Kenyatta’s support while at the same time lambasting rivals looking to be endorsed by other politicians.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *