Deputy President William Ruto. [Photo: the-star.co.ke]
Abrasive, bare-knuckled, rough and straight-shooting are just but a few adjectives that one can use in describing the manner in which DP William Ruto has been dealing with his political foe, Raila Amolo Odinga.It is clear to all and sundry that there is not even an iota of love between the two political enemies who enjoy near fanatical following in their respective political backyards. Raila's word is law in Nyanza and many a time you will hear the people of this region refusing to do anything until the man they fondly call baba says so. Ruto is equally God's own representative in his Rift Valley backyard. When a cheeky terrorist attempted to sneak into his compound recently, you all saw how the Kalenjin equivalent of the dreaded RECCE squad descended in Sugoi armed with bows and arrows! They even attempted to shove aside elite officers on the ground with the aim of taking charge of the operation!The genesis of the rivalry between the two leaders is not clearly known. What is clear is that DP Ruto reluctantly joined Raila in the 2007 elections with the prodding of the masses in his backyard. The result of their union was a bitterly fought election that almost brought the nation to its knees.As a result, a coalition government with the Kibaki regime saw Raila being made Prime Minister and Ruto taking the powerful Agriculture docket. However, the calm did not last with Raila at one point attempting to sack Ruto. Political temperatures dipped the scale and a quick action by President Kibaki to reinstate Ruto a few hours later averted a disaster.Flash forward to 2017. Ruto has played it rough on Raila almost becoming the central defender in President Uhuru's solid backyard. This has not gone down well with Raila's Nyanza backyard particularly after the tough-talking Ruto insinuated recently in an interview with Al Jazeera and CNN that the only negotiation they are willing to have with Raila is on how he will retire.
One is however left to wonder what the Nyanza voter would make of DP Ruto's tackle of their son. It would be apt if political advisors of the DP ask him to tone down the political rhetoric during the post-poll period. Five years is a long period in politics and, as they say, there no permanent enemies in the world of politics.
However, one has to be alive to the fact that the Nyanza voter may be unforgiving and may use 2022 as payback time. DP Ruto should immediately embark on a charm offensive in the region to secure a smooth ride in 2022.