After being the darling of the Coast region in the past three general elections, NASA leader Raila Odinga is facing an acid test in his bid maintain his loyal support amid spirited effort from the Deputy President to turn the tables.
The DP has shown insatiable appetite to make inroads in the region and over the last few months, his sustained charm offensive is seemingly bearing fruits with key Raila allies giving all indicators of switching allegiance.
From Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi to Malindi MP Aisha Jumwa, Ruto is seemingly winning the war against Raila in a battle for the region's over 1.7 million votes ahead of the 2022 political contest. So where does this leave Raila? Is he going to reverse the gains made by the DP over the past few months?
Known a master political operator who can read the mood on the ground and act accordingly, the former Prime Minister has all it takes to fight back and water down Ruto's growing influence in the region.
But to do that, he will have to identify new point men on the ground possibly to counter Kingi and Jumwa. Can he find them?
Well, he will have to act fast before it's too late lest he will be dealt a major blow should he make yet another stab at the presidency.