Deputy President William Ruto. [Photo/the-star.co.ke]
Deputy President William Ruto should count himself out among Kenyans with high hopes of ascending to State House in 2022.
Human Rights Activist and Law Lecturer Prof Makau Mutua said events that played out in 2002 when then-President Daniel Arap Moi tried to force Uhuru Kenyatta on Kenyans my repeat again in 2022.
During the election, Moi single-handedly nominated Uhuru KANU’s presidential aspirant but lost to National Rainbow Coalition’s Mwai Kibaki.
“In 2002, Moi insisted on making Uhuru President. Kibaki beat him like a drum. Today, Uhuru — illegitimately in State House — insists on making Ruto President in 2022. History will repeat itself. Ruto will be beaten like a drum.
A MoU signed between Uhuru and Ruto in the run-up to the 2013 election says Uhuru will marshal Central Kenya votes for Ruto the way the latter did for the commander in chief in 2013 when Rift Valley voted for Uhuru almost to the man, handing opposition chief Raila Odinga a resounding defeat.
Other leaders who have expressed interest in vying for the Presidency in 2022 to face Ruto include Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho, NASA’s Kalonzo Musyoka and Musalia Mudavadi, former Meru Governor Peter Munya among others.
Ruto is banking on the Central Kenya vote in 2022 to ascend to the presidency.
He is, however, facing competition from his Rift Valley region-mate Baringo Senator Gideon Moi who political analysts say has the backing of former First Lady Mama Ngina Kenyatta who is Uhuru’s mother.