The Sunday’s declaration by former Gatanga MP and 2013 presidential candidate Peter Kenneth that he will support President Uhuru Kenyatta’s 2017 reelection bid is a ‘massive’ blow to DP William Ruto’s 2022 chances, says political pundit Gideon Mamboleo.
Kenneth who finished fourth in 2013 on Sunday threw his support behind Uhuru and hinted his intention to contest Nairobi County gubernatorial seat.
And in Monday’s telephone interview with this writer on the latest political move, the Moi University lecturer challenged Ruto to ‘wake up’ and revise his strategy.
“The DP is a master planner on matters politics but I think Kenneth’s move should worry him more than anything if he is having any intentions in 2022 polls. Time has come for him to wake up and revise his strategies,” he said.
“I am saying so because Kenneth comes from the President’s backyard, a region with a history of supporting one of their own. There is a possibility that he is positioning himself to inherit Uhuru’s voting bloc,” he added.
Mamboleo likened Kenneth’s move to President Uhuru’s decision to drop his presidential bid in favour of Mwai Kibaki only to win in 2013, ten years after he first got into the presidential race.