It is now a foregone conclusion that Deputy President William Ruto will be on the ballot come 2022, vying for the country’s top seat.

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As things stand, the DP is the frontrunner for the seat although many political pundits will tell you 2022 is too far and things might change before the elections d-day.

Ruto is the undisputed Kalenjin kingpin and he will heavily rely on the votes from the community to propel him to the highest seat in the land, at least that is how Kenyan politics work. 

For him to increase the chances of succeeding President Uhuru Kenyatta, he will first have to consolidate his support base, Rift Valley region. DP Ruto will need to get maximum votes in his strongholds and this is where there is a bit of a challenge.

Here are five counties in the Rift Valley likely not to vote 100 per cent to the DP;

Trans Nzoia

This is one of the largely cosmopolitan counties in the Rift Valley. It borders the Western region that has for a long time been allied to the opposition. Depending on how DP Ruto support base in the region (Western) will be like in 2022, he is likely to split the votes with other presidential candidates which might end up being costly for his bid. However should the DP manage to turn the western region into his stronghold, then this county might not be a headache to him.

West Pokot

Traditionally this is a KANU zone. DP Ruto will need to work extra hard to convince a majority of voters in this county to vote for him, especially if Baringo Senator Gideon Moi will also be on the ballot. Even if Senator Moi does not vie for the presidency in 2022, whoever he will be supporting will be a major factor in determining the county’s voting pattern.

Turkana

Despite Turkana governor Josphat Nanok and several local leaders looking like they are warming up for the Jubilee side, this remains a largely opposition side. How this region votes will largely depend on whether ODM leader Raila Odinga will be on the ballot or not. Whichever way, Turkana is considered a swing county for DP Ruto.

Baringo

This is the home county of KANU chairman Gideon Moi who is also rumoured to be eyeing the top seat. Word also has it that Senator Moi might team up with Odinga to battle with DP Ruto for the top seat. Baringo is one county that will always keep DP Ruto’s team scratching their heads as we head to 2022. If Senator Moi will be on the ballot either as a running mate or a presidential candidate, there’s a high likelihood that Baringo will go his way, because of the Mzee Moi factor.

Narok

This has been a battleground for both Jubilee and ODM in the last two elections and the DP knows very well that it won’t be easy to garner maximum votes in Narok county. It all trickles down to what Odinga’s role will be in the 2022 poll. 

That said, DP Ruto remains the man to beat in 2022 presidential elections.

#hivisasaoriginal