07/03/2023
Ruto's plan to force Raila out of Western in the 2027 elections
Like the last time, President William Ruto is off the blocks in the race for administration in 2027 as his main rivals who coalesce around opposition chiefs Raila Odinga, Kalonzo Musyoka and Martha Karua — appear stuck in their agitation over last time’s presidential election results and the high cost of living.
Indeed as he tries to steer the country’s boat through the stormy waters of the moment, Dr Ruto has demurred off hisre-election shot in humorless with are-focus of the leadership of his political outfit, the United Democratic Alliance( UDA).
The appointment of former Kakamega County Senator, Cleophas Malala as the new Secretary- General of the ruling party is the first important statement in this direction. Compared to his precursor, Veronica Maina, Malala is a political beast, who's fast and debonair – just the right credentials demanded to drive the President’sre-election shot. In fact, by Malala’s own admission, he's cut out for the part. His crucial business, he says, is to play politics – “ good and positive politics that will boost our party leader’sre-election shot ”.
The new Secretary- General points out that UDA doesn't wish to find itself in the same dilemma as the Jubilee Party, which concentrated on governance and service delivery and forgot the politicking element – with dangerous goods in last August’s pates. Huge following At the same time, the President has independently kick- started the process of putting in place the coming set of arbiters of the 2027 pates. As a politician and prospective party, Ruto is obviously an interested party in this process.
Formerly, he has overseen the exit of former Vice-Chairman of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission( IEBC) Juliana Cherera and three other officers, who are perceived to have been leaning towards the rival camp in last time’s choices, and has gazetted names of panelists who'll solicit and recommend names of the coming IEBC president and six officers.
Read President Ruto fires Irene Masit from IEBC In a way, thus, the Ruto 2027 crusade has begun and there's no better starting point than the western Kenya region – the vicinity of two of his headliners, Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi and Speaker of the National Assembly, Moses Wetang’ula. Orange Democratic Movement( ODM) leader Raila also enjoys a huge following in the region, at least going by last time’s choices, in which his side of the Azimio La Umoja- One Kenya coalition swept the board in the administrative and gubernatorial races, claiming over 70 per cent of the seats.
It makes political sense, thus, for Ruto to gain entry in the region with a view to politically neutralising Odinga, his crucial rival at the moment and most likely in the 2027 pates – either directly or through another flag deliverer faced by a political conformation confederated to the former Prime Minister. Loud demurrers
And indeed within the Kenya Kwanza coalition, Ruto has not nestled down from taking the battle to Mudavadi and Wetang’ula’s doorsteps. Amid loud demurrers from the mates, he went against the original gentleman’s agreement that had counterplotted out the western region as ANC and Ford- Kenya zones by contending campaigners in the area on UDA tickets.
In a hot plea to residers of his home county of Vihiga, Mudavadi pointedly switched to the original Luhya shoptalk to inhibit choosers from taking an MP confederated to an “ stranger party ”. His demurrers went unheeded, however, as choosers in his home constituency of Sabatia tagged an MP confederated to UDA.
And when another occasion came up in Bungoma County, after Wetang’ula abnegated as assemblyman to settle for the Speaker’s seat at the National Assembly, UDA claimed on contending a seeker – important to Wetang’ula’s chagrin. It was easily a case of Ruto releasing a balloon in the air to test his fashionability, and sure enough he wasn't dissatisfied when his seeker, Mwambu Mabonga, surfaced second with,907 votes to Ford- Kenya’s Wafula Wakoli, who was declared victor with,032 votes.
The President has a good base in the western region formerly, with six seats to his credit courtesy of Didmus Wekesa Barasa( Kimilili), Fred Kapondi( Mt Elgon) and Daniel Wanyama( Webuye West), Clement Sioya( Sabatia) and Mary Emaase( Teso South) and Kakamega Senator Dr Bonny Khalwale.
Political business Khalwale observes that when the Central Organisation of Trade Unions( Cotu) Secretary- General, Francis Atwoli, in 2019 equated Wetang’ula’s and Mudavadi’s parties to alcoves whose purpose is to engage in “ political business ”, numerous laughed off the claim as a wild joke while others castigated the COTU master for his unkind reflections. But the assemblyman considers the oral trade unionist’s observation to have been spot on.
According to Khalwale, the period of political parties that played as public parties only by name and not composition is over “ If we hope to make an impact on the political scene as a community or region, also we should be part of a political conformation that transcends the communities of Kenya, and that's why Malala and I are more comfortable in UDA than either ANC or Ford- Kenya. ”
He argues that the only way Odinga adeptly manages to resuscitate himself every election time, for case, is because he's a member of a strong public party. Consequently, he calls upon Mudavadi and Wetang’ula to join bigger and broader political vessels in order to stay round, else “ they will continue sitting on the hedge and only staying to be auctioned at the eleventh hour by leading presidential campaigners ”.
The President is maybe too smart and nippy for the original political bigwigs – as well as Odinga, who has dominated western politics for decades – to admit. Before teaming up with the Mudavadi- Wetang’ula brace, Ruto plodded to win support in the region without important success.
In Ruto’s scheme of effects, his approach is solid and western Kenya has been sorted out. Malala’s appointment as SG makes him the face of UDA and, by extension, the government. This is a good preamble to the people of the region, particularly in the vibrant Kakamega County, where Odinga’s rival camp claimed 12 out of the 13 administrative seats, including that of the Woman Representative.
Near- hot support In Bungoma, the President can count on the near- hot support that his supporter, Wetang’ula, enjoys in the region, while in Busia – where the real tough task lies – he can make on the one seat the UDA has in Teso South and latch onto the influence of his Sports CS, Ababu Namwamba, and star Secretary for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Susan Mang’eni.
Dr Henry Makokha, a judge on political affairs, concurs that Ruto is bound to gain acceptance in the region. He attributes this achievement to a smart move by the President to win over the Mudavadi- Wetang’ula brace, thereby pulling them down from Odinga and in the process dividing and scattering the western vote further.
“ This is a well- allowed-out and well executed plot. Ruto’s bottom is forcefully in there now and going forward, he can only continue to partake the pillages with the other players, unless, of course, Mudavadi and Wetang’ulare-unite with Raila to lock him out. But this is a veritably doubtful script under the current circumstances, ” opines the political critic. Read Malala to Mudavadi, Wetang’ula, Mutua Fold parties or quit posts nevertheless, there's no denying that the rearmost developments could shake- up trust and stability within Kenya Kwanza.
With respects to Malala’s exit from ANC, for case, there are claims that he bolted after differing with his former party master, Mudavadi. After losing the Kakamega governor’s contest to ODM’s Fernandez Barasa, Malala reportedly reached out to Ruto for appointment to a Cabinet Secretary or star Secretary position. Ruto is said to have turned him down, averring that as an ANC member, his appointment demanded to be sanctioned by the PCS. Those close to Mudavadi claim that the Prime Cabinet Secretary was unhappy with the way Malala handled the August juggernauts, especially with regard to expenditure of the party’s crusade finances. It's because of this stand- off with his party master that Malala is believed to have switched camps to UDA.
This position is supported by ANC’s public president, Kevin Lunani, who maintains that the party’s leadership is ignorant of any negotiated arrangement between the former assemblyman and the PCS, or the President, to switch camps to UDA. The president is also categorical that the ANC won't fold to join UDA in the run- up to the 2027 pates.
Malala’s switch to UDA is bound to enkindle friendly fire within the Kenya Kwanza coalition, especially between the President’s and Mudavadi’s abettors . Although Malala states that the end game of his move is to bring all political outfits in the coalition under one party, the politician is curiously asking his sympathizers “ to follow me to UDA ”.
print courtesy of Nation Media
