Political analyst Prof Herman Manyora now says that Deputy President William Ruto's Friday support declaration for the handshake might have been the worst undoing for his presidential ambitions.
The DP who has been perceived to be against the handshake by President Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila Odinga on Friday declared his support for the same and embraced Raila as well.
Nonetheless, Manyora now says that the DP could have willingly entered into a trap that had been placed on his way by Uhuru and Raila, with regards to their 2022 plans, which might scuttle his bid.
Speaking on Saturday, he noted that the two appear to be having similar plans regarding the poll, and Ruto's entrance, should it stick until 2022, only makes things easier for them.
However, he said that the DP will not have any say in the plans for power division ahead of the poll, and will have to play as per their rules and adhere to their terms.
"I am convinced there is a new look Ruto who is going to join the handshake team. The conversation we must, therefore, have as a country today is; What king of 2022 are we looking at? Will Ruto be given the ultimate prize in 2022 by the handshake team? It is most unlikely," he said.
Manyora made the remarks on his Take It or Leave It analysis channel on Saturday morning.
He added that as much as the Raila-Uhuru group might be happy to have suppressed his opposition, it's very likely on their own rules, which disqualifies him from anything at the top.
"Much as the handshake team could also have been happy to bring him on board, because its not easy having Ruto outside fighting you because he is a tough man, it must have been most likely on their terms. And because it's on their terms, there is no way he can come in and get the top price," he added.