The famous March 9 handshake between President Uhuru Kenyatta and his former political rival Raila Odinga has received more criticism than applause from Deputy President William Ruto’s confidants and supporters.
The handshake instead of marking the end of political fights in the country marked the official kick off of 2022 succession politics within the Jubilee and NASA coalitions.
DP Ruto’s allies have continued to call for President Kenyatta to publicly declare his support for his deputy in the coming presidential race as earlier agreed during the formation of Jubilee party.
On the other side, Ruto’s critics seem to be taking advantage of the situation as they are very determined to win the heart of President Kenyatta.
Baringo Senator Gideon Moi who also hails from the Rift Valley region is as well giving the DP a headache as he is also said to be keen on his journey to the state house. Senator Moi's candidacy will be a threat to Ruto since he will not be assured of maximum votes from his vote-rich home region.
During the recent Kenyatta's visit to Nyanza region, there were allegations that DP Ruto and his allies were sidelined as the politicians from the region urged the head of state to support Odinga’s quest for the presidency and even promised him a Prime Minister’s position.
The handshake totally complicated Ruto’s arithmetic by not assuring him the support of President Kenyatta and the entire Mt Kenya region.
Ruto has openly expressed his suspicion by saying that he was very aware of what the handshake entailed and what it did not.
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