The story of William Ruto is an inspiring one, to say the least. He rose through the ranks through sheer hard work, as he has once said before; to be the man he is today – Deputy President of Kenya.
In order to appeal to the majority of voters, DP Ruto has insisted about his humble beginnings, terming himself a hustler. This term is worn out, partly because he is ‘rich’ and partly because he has been in a leadership position for about two decades.
It does not take any form of intellect to know that DP Ruto is no longer a hustler. It is an outdated term, at least to a man of Ruto’s stature. Consequently, he needs to rebrand himself in the face of rising opposition to his 2022 presidential ambitions.
Those who are opposed to DP Ruto’s ambitions are the sons of freedom fighters and post-colonial leaders who took over the reins of leadership from the white man. In the process, they amassed great wealth as well as influence in Kenya’s political hierarchy.
The sons, mind you, grew up in opulence brought about by their parent’s largesse. They studied abroad, and seemingly had everything handed down to them on a silver platter. This is where the difference between them and DP Ruto comes in.
DP Ruto was once a chicken seller. He did not have the privilege that his contemporaries and now opponents had. He grew up in poverty. And that’s what he should use come 2022.
He should tell the electorate, majority of whom are languishing in poverty, that he understands how it feels to sleep hungry, walk barefoot to school, and the struggles of poverty – having little or no choices at all.
DP Ruto should drum into the ears of voters (not the middle-class people and keyboard warriors) that those trying to stop him are those who do not even understand what poverty means. These people hear poverty in air-conditioned conference rooms only. They did not experience it.
There are still years that promises intrigues, twists and turns in the political scene. When it is all said and done, it will be William Ruto against someone, preferably a candidate fronted by the son’s of freedom fighters and businessmen – the aristocracy.
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