President Ruto is a possiblility

Njamba,
Thank you for giving credit to WSR. His 7% is definitely worth paying attention to. RAO picked from around a similar position when Kalooser was the outright favourite. Whether WSR's rating will climb as RAO's or stagnate as Mr eight-percent's is beyond me.

However, WSR is not DAM. Moi's mien is a contrast in study to WSR. Whereas DAM slipped through the evil schemes and strenghthened himself while projecting an image of a harmless, fatherly mien, WSR is aggressive and abbrassive. For one to climb to the ladder in Kenya, you need to network and make friends. Moi reached out to make friends. RAO reaches out to local and international contacts in building bridges. WSR seems to think that he can daze people to support him, kind of an awe-pull-the-people aura or syndrom. His arogance does not win him friends.

In fact, as we read this, he is unlikely to win any support from the Luhya because he has shown contempt for Muda. I would expect a lot of grace from the Luo if they can forgive him quite easily for undermining and seemingly engaging in endless contests with RAO.

Add that to the corruption cases dogging him, the whispers of a travel ban to the UK and USA and you conjure up the image of a boxed-in and over-ambitious, even arrogant and dismissive character. By nature, great leaders are people who appear 'useful' and 'useable' to power-brokers. Never mind that leaders successfully hide their true selves and emerge to destroy the 'kingmakers' ASAP.

Remember the 'passing cloud' class think by the Kenyatta court regarding arap Moi. Moi, the cloud, took 24 years to pass. He still looms large above many a political spaces in Kenya.

Enuff said.

-Kaburwo-

Told you so....

Ruto says he will run for president in 2012
www.nation.co.ke/News/politics/-/1064/674482/-/xtp3fhz/-/index.html

Agriculture minister William Ruto on Monday declared he will contest the presidency in the next election.

If he does so, then he will face a raft of other contenders, including his party leader, Prime Minister Raila Odinga, the presumed front-runner for the ODM nomination.

Making the announcement, Mr Ruto said those who had been “assisted by the Kalenjin community” had failed to win the presidency therefore it was time for them “to give us the backing so that we show them the way”.

Quit ODM

However, Kisumu Town West MP Olago Aluoch challenged Mr Ruto to quit ODM and seek a fresh mandate instead of weakening the party from within.

He said Mr Ruto had a democratic right to seek the presidency in another party “now and not tomorrow”.

He also criticised the minister, saying it was not yet time for campaigns. According to him, internal party democracy does not give anybody the right to vilify an elected party leader.

“We saw it coming but it is only fair for Mr Ruto to write to the Speaker of the National Assembly that he has resigned and wants a by-election in his constituency. The time is now,” Mr Oluoch said.

Both the Prime Minister and ODM Secretary-General, Prof Anyang’ Nyong’o were not available for comment as they are in China for an official visit.

However, Prof Nyong’o said he would respond when he returns.

A Synovate (previously Steadman) opinion poll at the weekend showed Mr Odinga as the runaway favourite to win the presidency if an election were to be held now. Some 31 per cent of those polled said they would vote for him if the election was called at the time of the interview.

Mr Ruto was the choice of only seven per cent of the respondents, Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka 14 per cent and Finance minister Uhuru Kenyatta 10 per cent.

“For us to garner the top seat, we must unite as a community and reject those in our midst out to divide us,” Mr Ruto said.

He criticised Mr Odinga, whom he claimed was out to divide the community and its leaders.

“His recent visit to Chepalungu where he reversed the earlier decision by elders to have the district headquarters located at Sigor and moved it to Siongiroi was meant to divide the community and not to unite it,” Mr Ruto said.

Konoin MP Julius Kones of ODM said he supported Mr Ruto’s bid for the top seat. “We want our own, we cannot afford any more to go begging for leaders when we can produce one as a community,” he said.

According to him, Mr Ruto qualified to be president.

“Our unity as a community and leaders is the envy of many and they are now trying to use some sell-outs in the community to frustrate our efforts; be careful,” Dr Kones said.

Chepalungu MP Isaac Ruto also called for unity and supported Mr Ruto’s ambitions, as did Bomet mayor Leonard Barsumei.

Party leader

In 2007, Mr Ruto unsuccessfully vied for the ODM nomination, but finished third after Mr Odinga and Mr Musalia Mudavadi. Mr Odinga, who was the party leader, became its flagbearer and named Mr Mudavadi as his running mate and deputy party leader.

Last year, Mr Ruto was also named joint deputy party leader.

African Gospel Church (Kenya) assistant Bishop Paul Leleito said that given its past problems, Rift Valley had no choice but produce a presidential candidate.

Last week at a funds drive for Kaplong Girl’s Secondary School, Energy assistant minister Charles Keter had drummed up support for Mr Ruto’s presidential bid.

“Mr Ruto is ripe enough for the seat and you need to give him all the support he requires to achieve his presidential ambitions,” Mr Keter said.

Roads minister, Franklin Bett has also declared his intention to vie for the top seat.

During the wedding of Mr Kevin Kipng’etich Kalya at Kaparuso Primary School, Mr Bett said he had a wealth of experience in the presidency, having served for 12 years as State House Comptroller during the tenure of the then President Moi.

Mr Kipng’etich is a son of former Road minister Kipkalya Kones who died in a plane crash last year.

Mr Bett’s critics said he was “spoiler” but his supporters said he deserved the seat.

Mr Ruto becomes the third ODM leader, after Mr Mudavadi and Mr Bett, to declare his intention to vie for the presidency.

It is widely assumed that Mr Odinga will also have a shot at the seat in 2012.

-Kaburwo-

Kaburwo,
WSR has opened too many war fronts and that alone is enough to keep him busy past 2012. The man is trying to fight off Hague accusations; he is battling it out with Mudavadi within ODM. He has an ongoing duel with Gideon Moi (he might not erode WSR support but he can take a chunk), then there are people like Franklin Bett, Sirma, Henry Kosgey, Sally Kosgei etc who are showing only lukewarm support for the man. On top of that he has picked up a fight with RAO. By the time he is done with all the wars, the elections shall have come and gone.

Polls show that his popularity country wide is about 7% and within ODM 14%. He knows that in order to reach figures that can catapult him to SH he needs to do something different. All the rallies that he has been holding in RVP seem to have paid no dividend hence the declaration of running for president.


That’s his right even though winning PORK would be an uphill task. He knows it too but must join the race to try denying RAO part of the votes in RVP. He perhaps feels that as long as he is just shouting from the fringes, nobody is taking seriously. WSR is popular in his constituency and if he decides to jump the ODM ship today he would not have problem being re-elected in a party of his choice save for PANU which people don’t want to hear about in RVP. What prevents him from joining another party is the fear of losing exposure and the ODM support base. His party to be, UDM is basically a tribal outfit which has not stood the test of time. Popularizing it nationwide would be a major undertaking of which a few would like to be involved. Ask Martha Karua, she burnt out after a few months of taking Narc-Kenya on a road show. These days you hardly hear of Narc-Kenya.


The KK alliance would have worked well for WSR but the events of last 2007-2008 cannot allow this to happen. Even if it materialized between UK and WSR, WSR must still accept to play second fiddle to the butcher wa Kiambu. Otherwise if UK was to play second to WSR, Karua or any other Centralian would easily carry 80 percent of the votes from the province. All this leaves WSR high and dry and he knows it. That’s why he is intent on doing a Judas aka wiper but unlike the former he has shown his hands too early in the game and his rivals including his “friend” UK are busy chopping it.


But this is how WSR can win the presidency hands down. Stay put in ODM to keep hold on to its support base in all corners of the country. Spend more time disabling Kanu forays in the RVP for the old party is trying to steal support from him. Immediately cease talking of or attempting to form a tribal alliance for this has backfired and will continue doing so, besides he needs to cut an image of a national leader. Use his position as a cabinet minister well to show that he is a good leader for this will endear him to the people. Stop unnecessary attacks on RAO then do all he can to be nominated as ODM torch bearer in the upcoming elections. Just as Phil mentioned above RAO might not even be on the ballot box come next elections and this would open a big window for WSR. Cease the constant campaign for this will only burn him out and turn him into a laughing stock.

I wish him luck.