With each passing day, DP Ruto’s options decrease as he readies himself for the battle to succeed his boss come 2022.
The decision to agree to the BBI report despite misgivings from his camp may as well been a miscalculation on his part. First of all, the report made recommendations on the distribution of power, which was geared towards appeasing all the ethnicities available in Kenya in a way similar to power-sharing. The present political landscape has been all about keeping someone out of power. Our politics thrives on having an enemy. And that enemy is not corruption, better healthcare, jobs, or even environmental issues. It has always been a tangible enemy. A man or woman with a political history that can be manipulated to paint him as an enemy to another community’s ascension to power. It is the only way to blind reason and whip up emotions. As such, sharing power strips the presidency the allure it has often held since the inception of our country. No matter the outcome of elections, each party finds its way into the government. Even though the BBI report came up with commendable recommendations, what is of interest to politicians is the positions they’ll occupy. Consequently, DP Ruto’s only available option is to leave the government and become the voice of opposition. It will be weird to oppose the government he vehemently fought for, but it will be for his own good. Being in agreement with the powers that be, which has seemingly sidelined him, whittles down his influence. As the years wind down, he may find himself with no one by his side, except first-time political upstarts who will be clinging to him for political survival.