With about four years to the next general elections, succession politics has already kicked off as Deputy President William Ruto prepares to succeed President Uhuru Kenyatta whose term is coming to an end.
After supporting Uhuru during 2013 and 2017 elections, DP Ruto expected direct support by the president and his home region when his time at the ballot comes in 2022.
However, soon after the conclusion of 2017 elections, unforeseen division between Mt Kenya’s region leaders on whether to support the DP in his quest came out of nowhere.
All along, Ruto and his allies had been made to believe that the Mt. Kenya region would pay back the ‘debt’ and support him overwhelmingly but things took a U-turn. A group of Mt Kenya leaders led by Nyeri Town legislator Ngujiri Wambugu has made it clear that the region might field its own candidate.
The DP being one of the smartest politicians in the country seems to have accepted what might befall him which will mean that the region duped him for political benefits and dumped him when the time to pay him came.
Recently, Ruto has been touring and launching projects in the regions which were termed to be opposition’s strongholds during 2013 and 2017 elections. The self-proclaimed hustler is definitely on a mission to conquer and win new territories and this may mean that he is no longer interested or assured of the support of the GEMA community.
Lately, he has been making frequent visits to Mombasa, Kwale, Western and Nyanza regions many times compared to the Central region.
If indeed he will be able to convince the voters from these regions to vote for him, he will easily win the race without the support of the Central region.
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