Deputy President William Ruto is currently among the most popular politicians in the country and possibly the next president, a slot he has openly declared interest in.
Lately, the DP has been basking in praise and admiration from his allies, the majority of them lawmakers allied to the Jubilee Party, who have termed him the best man to lead the country.
But is he the best man for the job? Has he demonstrated that he can do a spotless job in that capacity or is he just being overrated? Well, he is being overrated and here is why;
1. No track record
Ruto, despite being the second in command in the country, is not known as a development minded person and though he launches many development projects, few are completed.
Instead, the DP has been seen largely riding on projects done by his allies, especially lawmakers, which he has been coming out to launch once done, bagging the credit in the process.
Actually earlier in the year, he was accused of launching projects not ready for launching by none other than Water Principal Secretary Joseph Irungu.
Some of the projects he promised in the run-up to the 2017 polls, including state of the art stadiums in several counties are yet to be seen.
Consequently, those praising him are very much likely doing it by looking at his face and not judging by his record.
2. No major constituency behind him
The DP also appears to be riding on manufactured influence, with regards to remarks from his allies.
The group has been trying to put out an image of a very strong leader who can even beat ODM leader Raila Odinga in the much-awaited race, which is openly not the case.
This is openly visible in his unending cross-country trips, which are openly an early campaign technique, pointing at a man struggling to win the hearts of Kenyans.
Were he as strong as it is being claimed, the DP would not see any need to disobey his boss' anti politicking order and calmly await the race.
It is worth noting that leaders of his calibre, the likes of Raila, remain calm. This raises the question; why the restlessness if he is indeed as influential as is being said?
3. Corruption allegations
The DP is among the national leaders shouldering the most corruption allegations and is yet to successfully clear his name, though he maintains that he is not involved in graft.
Therefore, corruption being one of the nation's main challenges, which the next president will be expected to slay, Ruto is not the best man for the job.
If he cannot clear his own name as a single man, how will he be able to defeat the deep-rooted menace and clear the entire nation's name in the eye of the international community?
Therefore, Ruto is not as great as his allies would want Kenyans to believe, he is just a being overrated.
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