Renown historian Professor Nyachieo Bogonko believes Deputy President William Ruto should do ‘something extra’ to cement his authority as Rift Valley political kingpin.
The Deputy President’s authority was tested on Monday during Kericho senatorial by-elections but he managed to bag a crucial victory after Jubilee Alliance Party (JAP) candidate Aaron Cheriyoit managed over 109,000 votes to finish above Kanu’s Paul Sang who scoped over 54,000 votes.
Bogonko who spoke to the writer in an exclusive telephone interview on Tuesday says the DP should go back to the drawing board and fix things before they fall apart.
“I have much respect for him but I think the outcome of Kericho should give him a reason to do something extra. In fact, in my opinion, Kanu did well and this is a wake-up call for him,” said Bogonko.
"He should move quickly and fix things before they fall apart. I expected him to bag a convincing victory but the voting pattern is an indication that something is not right somewhere," said Bogonko.
"We saw it in Homabay and Makueni where Cord candidates won by a landslide but the Kericho one was a bit tight,” added Bogonko.
According to him, Ruto should consider reaching out to the Jubilee rebels in the Rift, who he believes will be a great impediment to his presidential bid in 2022.
“I advise him not to dismiss Isaac Rutto or Gideon Moi and even Alfred Keter. They have shown what they can do," said Bogonko.
"Getting over 30 percent in the senatorial race is an indication that he should hold a dialogue with them. Otherwise, they may, in the long run, prove to be an impediment to his presidential ambitions,” said Bogonko.