Deputy President William Ruto is keen to go out in public guns blazing over what he believes is betrayal by President Uhuru Kenyatta after supporting him for the last two elections, it has emerged.
Last week, Jubilee Vice Chair David Murathe, a key ally of the president, openly dismissed Ruto's 2022 chances in remarks that have heightened political temperature again.
According to the Sunday Nation, Ruto's team through lead campaign team known as The War Council, now plans to express their displeasure against the president in a move to neutralize the handshake with opposition leader Raila Odinga.
“We were together as Jubilee Party under the slogan "Tuko Pamoja" (we are together). But are we really together?” Majority Whip Ben Washiali, who sits in the council, told the Sunday Nation.
He went on: “We were together and we are now out. You can’t keep telling us that we are together when you have other people at the eating table. Let’s see what the new year holds.”www.nation.co.ke/news/politics
Through the move, he said, Ruto will be able to win public sympathy by setting the President against the people, who have seen his contributions to Uhuru's presidential victory twice.
On Friday, EALA member of parliament Maina Kamanda insisted that Mt Kenya will not vote Dr Ruto despite supporting President Uhuru Kenyatta for the last two elections.
"What Murathe has said is what many of our people believe in. That's what we are going to do and nobody will intimidate us," he said.
With a possible referendum in 2020, the Sunday Nation adds, Ruto's War Council is also keen to have electronic voting strengthened to avoid a possible rigging scenario to his disadvantage in 2022.