Deputy President William Ruto may fail to succeed President Uhuru Kenyatta in 2022 despite being the frontrunner in the race State House.
Political analyst William Chesang says the DP has all that it takes to be Kenya's next chief executive but noted his aggressiveness in pursuit for power may be his major undoing.
"Ruto’s greatest enemy is not Uhuru Kenyatta, Raila Odinga or Gideon Moi. It is Ruto himself. He approaches every issue with a macho-make belief; a person will and bravado that is destructive, alien and antagonistic to Kenya’s political psyche," he said.
Chesang, who is renowned historian, said Ruto's chances of taking over power were shrinking and ever getting smaller due to his assertiveness nature of politics.
"He has isolated himself from some of his peers and regional kingpins who are instrumental in his election bid and created his own archers," he wrote in an opinion piece published by the Standard on Tuesday.
Apart from his personality and shortcomings which may hinder his presidency, Chesang noted, there were outside forces which were likely to block him from the State House.
He said among them were: "hostile party apparatus, limited operational space in government and a crumbling political base."
The historian said all was not lost on the DP and encouraged him to fight for survival and employ strategies that will guarantee him success.
"Why wait for the President to call a parliamentary group meeting? Ruto could summon one and brainstorm the issues affecting the party if any. He could also prevail upon the provincial administration to ensure they do not miss your functions.
"Count on and cajole the security system for them to do his bidding. Be the champion of devolution to win the support of the Council of Governors and the members of county assemblies. He could also assure the rich and powerful that they are safe and their wealth secure," he stated.
Chesang added: "He can empower the hustlers with capital and start-ups. Court the women by championing affirmative action. Disarm his adversaries and critics with handshakes and reconciliations. Denounce corruption and the corrupt. Help aggrieved maize farmers. Repudiate the hustler tag, and so on."