With about three years standing between him and the country's top seat, Deputy President William Ruto will have to play it smart if he is to clinch the presidency in the next election.

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Already, the ever-busy DP has started his campaign trail to popularize his 2022 bid.

Keen to make inroads in his opponents' political backyards, Ruto is not leaving anything to chance. So, if the DP is to become the country's fifth president, who are the political actors he should recruit into his camp? 

Wiper leader and former Vice President is the man who can do some magic for the Ruto political machine. With over 35 years of experience in politics, Kalonzo Musyoka knows how to play the game.

With a significant national following, Kalonzo's influence cannot be wished away. On his own, he garnered 800,000 votes during the 2007 presidential election. 

But can a deal with Ruto happen? In politics, nothing is impossible. Though Kalonzo recently denied claims by former Machakos Senator Johnson Muthama of a political merger between him and the DP, any political deal can happen in the next two years.

Then there is Garissa Township MP Aden Duale. A key Ruto loyalist, the lawmaker's love for the DP is never in doubt. If he sticks with Ruto, his impact in the next election will be felt. And a political heavyweight in the North-Eastern region, the National Assembly majority leader will surely deliver.

Can a political deal between Ruto and Amani National Congress party leader Musalia Mudavadi happen? If it does, it will be a throwback to 2007 when they were members of Orange Democratic Movement's Pentagon. 

With a huge following in Western Kenya, Mudavadi is a serious political player. But can the DP get him?

In Kisii region, Deputy Governor Joash Maangi has emerged as the undisputed Ruto man in the region. There is no doubt that he will surely deliver a fraction of the region's voters to DP's camp.