With the Hustler emerging as the favourite to win the 2022 presidential race, there is intense clandestine lobbying by numerous politicians to share the ticket as his deputy. Current and former governors are among those who are salivating for the post. Others are prominent businessmen as well as former senior politicians who hold no position in the current political dispensation.
The recent cold reception of ODM leader Raila Odinga in Kwale County has sent a strong message to most political watchers that Raila’s charm with voters may have faded. His complicity in the Uhuru Kenyatta administration’s runaway corruption especially during this Covid-19 pandemic may have something to do with the declining support. Ruto’s rising popularity in ODM strongholds such as Kisii where he held a highly well attended rally has cemented the notion that Ruto’s marginalization by President Uhuru and his men may have made him even more popular thus accomplishing the complete opposite of what Uhuru’s men such as David Murathe and Francis Atwoli have been trying to do-dim Ruto’s political star. Ruto seems to have snatched the slot of the country’s most loved political figure from Raila Odinga. His brand of “Hustler Nation” is the most popular in the country at the moment.
His “blind loyalty” to President Uhuru Kenyatta has endeared him to Mt. Kenya voters who have vowed to vote for the Hustler in the 2022 poll come what may, a stance that has enraged the few from Mt. Kenya who are opposed to Ruto’s possible post-2022 presidency. It is this wild popularity of Ruto that has stirred interest in the deputy presidency in the 2022 race.
The Candidates
Mwangi Kiunjuri
This immediate former CS for Agriculture is arguably the most popular Mt. Kenya politician among the members of the Mt. Kenya region. His oratorical strength in the Kikuyu dialect leaves most of his people with broad smiles even when the subject is flimsy. Given the dedicated support Ruto has enjoyed from Mt. Kenya to this point, and the role Hon. Kiunjuri has played in this, Mwangi is definitely a contender for the post of Deputy President under President Ruto. However, he will have to battle it out with other candidates for the slot who are equally strong, thus making it anything but a walk in the park. His chances increase exponentially if William Kabogo and Moses Kuria are not in the fray.
Hon. William Kabogo
Kabogo is one of the most exciting Mt. Kenya politicians especially to people outside the region because of his eloquence. His mastery of the Queen’s language is a thrill and you can count on him to speak truth to power even if it means criticizing the regime of President Uhuru Kenyatta for widespread and shameless corruption like he recently did when he bitterly complained over the shame of stealing Coronavirus money. He is a very smart politician and having suffered for not listening to the people, he is not likely to make that mistake again. He is quick to point out how Deputy President Ruto is popular in Mt. Kenya. He is counting on his appeal outside Mt. Kenya to help him edge out his potential competitors from the region.
Hon. Moses Kuria- Gatundu South Member of Parliament
A combative politician, Hon. Moses Kuria is one of the most ardent supporters Deputy President William Ruto has from the Mt. Kenya region. He never misses a chance to remind President Uhuru and others who might be opposed to Ruto’s State House bid that Ruto is the only politician who was willing to stand with Mt. Kenya in 2013 and 2017 by supporting Uhuru’s bid for the presidency. He is both popular and courageous, attributes he shares with Mwangi Kiunjuri. He is in the top three category among the Mt. Kenya leaders who can garner reasonable support in their bid to deputize William Ruto in his 2022 presidential bid.
Peter Kenneth
This is the weakest of all the Mt. Kenya potential DP candidates. He has very limited appeal in and out of Mt. Kenya and is on record having badmouthed Ruto in the 2017. While Ruto might not mind having him as his running-mate, his presence on the ticket might interfere with his support from Mt. Kenya. It remains to be seen what he will do to turn his fortunes around.
Musalia Mudavadi
The presidential race is shaping up as a horse race between Ruto and Raila. Since Raila has always sucked nearly all the political oxygen in Western Province, always bullying and crushing Musalia, a Ruto-Musalia ticket cannot be ruled out. Ruto’s increasing popularity might embolden Musalia into joining the Ruto ticket as DP, and with an all but assured Central Kenya vote, Ruto seems to be free to pick a running-mate from a region of his choice that can add more votes to his vote basket.
H.E Governor Mike Sonko
Of all the potential Deputy President candidates out there for Ruto to consider, the one who is likely to add more vote value to the Ruto ticket is Sonko. With his larger than life persona and Trump-like quirkiness, Sonko is a magnet pulling crowds wherever he goes. While other politicians have to invest a lot of money to pull crowds, Sonko has shown that he can attract huge crowds even in unlikely places such as Luo-Nyanza and Rift Valley. His electoral history also shows that his crowds always result in votes as shown by his parliamentary, senatorial, and gubernatorial victories. He has never lost any contest since he joined elective politics in 2010 where he became Makadara’s MP after beating PNU’s Dick Wathika and ODM’s Reuben Ndolo in a by-election.
Sonko is the only candidate with the potential to market Ruto in Nairobi, a feat no other politician in this list can pull.
H.E Governor Ali Hassan Joho, Mombasa County Governor
That Joho almost decamped from ODM to join Deputy President William Ruto is not a secret. With his second and final gubernatorial term on its sunset days, Joho must figure out his next political move. His thin academic resume almost completely excludes him from any CS slot thus leaving him with the Deputy Presidency or a Deputy Prime Minister or Prime Minister position in case of a constitutional change to create more slots at the top.
Joho seems unlikely to be Raila’s Deputy with the likes of Kalonzo, Gideon Moi, Waiguru, and Oparanya angling for it. Ruto’s side is the only place with space for him, and the shameful theft of Covid-19 funds and PPEs makes it hard for anybody from Raila’s side to attack Ruto on graft.
It remains to be seen whether Joho will jump ship as early as possible to avoid getting late for the party or wait until the last minute to crash the party.
H.E Kivutha Kibwana, Makueni County Governor
Prof. Kibwana is arguably the least controversial governor whose economic stewardship of Makueni County has earned him accolades from around the country. He has managed to implement a “people first” agenda that has seen his county get picked for various bench-marking endeavours on a number of projects. While he’d be complimentary to Ruto’s fairly aggressive personality given that the governor is laid back, he is a lousy politician with limited name recognition around the country.
James Mwangi-Equity Boss
The shrewd Equity boss has been mentioned in many quarters as a potential running-mate for Ruto but he chooses to stay away from politics, and for a good reason. It is the best way to protect his bank from powerful forces that might choose to seek revenge. While he is arguably a long shot, he brings in solid business-sector credentials that might be touted as necessary for the badly needed economic reorganization of the country’s battered economy.
Others
Others whose names have appeared in one or more forums include Kilifi County Governor Amason Kingi, Busia Senator Amos Wako, and the President’s brother, Muhoho Kenyatta.
Deputy President Dr. William Ruto’s choice of a running-mate will have a serious impact on his electoral fortunes come Election Day in 2022. A foothold in the capital, Nairobi, and gaining access to other areas where he is a bit disadvantaged will be key. Time will tell who among these individuals in this list will make the cut.