Political commentator Danstan Omari has hailed Deputy President William Ruto following 'impressive' performance by Jubilee Party candidate McDonald Mariga in the just-concluded Kibra parliamentary by-election.
Mariga garnered 11,230 votes and emerged second behind MP-elect Imran Okoth of ODM who got 24,636 votes in the mini-poll held on Thursday.
Ruto spearheaded campaigns for the Jubilee candidate who was making his first attempt in elective politics.
President Uhuru Kenyatta, the Jubilee Party leader, never showed up in Kibra to campaign for the former Harambee Stars player.
Omari, who is also a lawyer, noted Ruto managed singlehandedly Mariga's campaigns, adding it was not a mean achievement to register over 11,000 votes.
In an interview with KTN News, he said Kibra contest proved Ruto will be no pushover in the 2022 general election.
"Ruto has shown he has what it takes to fight for himself and he is not Uhuru's puppet (Ruto ameonyesha kwamba yeye anatosha kujipigania mwenyewe wala si kikaragosi cha Uhuru)" Omari said.
However, according to media blogger Seth Odongo alias Dikembe Disembe, Ruto is a weakling who will fail in his presidential bid if not backed by Uhuru and the 'government machinery'.
"Without explicit support of Uhuru Kenyatta and government machinery William Ruto will only win in Nandi, Bomet, Kericho, Uasin Gishu, Marakwet, West Pokot and maybe Baringo," Disembe tweeted on Friday.