By James Wafula in Nairobi.
Pray is it possible that things have gotten so bad between President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy of nine and half years William Ruto that they two could exchange blows if they come face to face?.
That at least is the impression one gets lately from the no holds barred attacks that Ruto has angrily kept directing at his former political ally turned bitter foe.
The two men once enjoyed a close rapport with their chemistry attesting to ties that would endure many tempests but that has since been exploded in slurring matches only four months to Kenyatta’s retirment.
The main beneficiary of the Uhuruto fall-out is none other than former Prime Minister and ODM leader Hon. Raila Amolo Odinga.
Odinga’s surprise political truce March 9, 2018 was the ultimate game changer making him a defacto “co-president” without breaking a sweat. He managed to systematically edge out Ruto from the political limelight virtually making him the lone voice crying out in the widlerness of an outsider.
A bitter and un-relenting Ruto has laboured on braving one tempest after another, hois eyes fixed on the prize of becoming Kenya’s fifth President.
It will be no walk in the park after Kenyatta put together a formidable vote hunting machine and annointed Raila to lead the troops.
Operation stop Ruto is well underway but the DP who has lately completely lost his cool keeps spoiling for a fight with barely controlled tempers as he takes on his boss.
Donors and multi-lateral lenders are warning this could be a precursor to deadly post election violence if leaders dont tone down and begin to act with decorum and political civility.
Otherwise as depicted in a cartoon in one of the local dailies a single man Ruto is depicted trying to fight several men in one ring touting them to bring it on.
The cartoon was a timely graphic depiction of what Mr Ruto is facing- an array of 29 political parties ganging up to stop his state house race all under patronage of the man he thrice helped get elected to power.
One would understand the current bitterness Ruto is felling and sense of betrayal but that according to 48 Laws of Power is in the nature of thankless politics.
Ruto may be paying the price of trying to “outsmart his master” in typical Machavellian style as Uhuru moved to keep friends close and enemies even closer. But between Raila and Ruto who is the bigger enemy- the former who twice tried to unseat him or the latter who thrice managed to make him re-elected ■
