President Uhuru Kenyatta will have no other option but to back his deputy William Ruto's presidential bid for 2022, political analyst Javas Bigambo has observed.
This comes amid an apparent disagreement within the ruling Jubilee Party after outgoing Chair David Murathe hinted that Uhuru's Mt Kenya region might ditch Ruto for another hopeful.
But according to Bigambo, Uhuru will be held hostage by his remarks in the run up to the 2013 and 2017 elections where he pledged to endorse Ruto as his successor.
He said that failure to keep his words, Uhuru will come out as a liar and traitor, a tag he would not want to taint the legacy he seeks to leave.
"Rais ataonekana msaliti iwapo hatalipiza ahadi yake ya pale mbeleni alipoahidi kumuunga mkono naibu wake (failure to keep his promise might make him a traitor)," he said.
He observed that the same could also have negative effects on Uhuru's unification campaign, explaining that some communities might stand up against his change of heart.
According to Bigambo, though there might be no written agreement on their deal, Uhuru's public pledge to lend back a hand could result in tribal retaliations from Ruto's side.
"Rais na watu wake walisema peupe kwamba wangemuunga Ruto, iwapo watakataa kufanya vile basi huenda ikaleta machafuko (this could lead to tribal retaliations and possible clashes)," he added.
Worries within DP Ruto's camp have been further worsened by Uhuru's growing closeness with opposition leader Raila Odinga, Ruto's possible chief competitor in the race.
However, Uhuru has been avoiding the issue, maintaining that his main motive currently is to deliver in line with his Big 4 development agenda.