Ruto no show in Uhuru Nakuru tour shows crumbling political marriage  

President Uhuru Kenyatta gives a title deed to a Nakuru resident in Nakuru town on January 14, 2020. The president issued over 2000 title deeds. to PHOTO | CHEBOITE KIGEN | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Mr Kenyatta and Dr Ruto have in the past held public rallies in Nakuru since they won the last election in 2017.

  • Nakuru has remained Uhu-Ruto’s preferred place for launching and ending of their political campaigns.

  • But the support for DP has turned out to be a political embarrassment to some leaders.

If there is one county that can accurately measure the imminent ‘political falling-out’ between President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto, it is Nakuru.

The cosmopolitan county is regarded as the hotbed of Kenya’s politics. In 2013, it witnessed as the solemnisation of a political marriage between the two principals at Afraha Stadium.  

So crucial is Nakuru to the political lifeline of the duo that when they faced charges over their alleged role in the 2007/2008 post-election violence at The International Criminal Court (ICC), they converged at Afraha Stadium for a prayer meeting.

CASE COLLAPSED

The ICC cases collapsed during their first term in office after witnesses pulled out. Nakuru has remained their preferred place for launching and ending of their political campaigns.

On Tuesday President Kenyatta issued more than 2,000 title deeds to some Nakuru residents and conspicuously missing was Dr Ruto.

When the President briefly addressed residents on Nakuru’s Moi Road, he did not attract a big crowd. In the past when hawkers and small scale traders would close their businesses to listen to the President.

The crowd, mainly made up of boda boda riders, was not charged even as President Kenyatta assured them that his mission was to unite the country and that he had no grudge against any politician.

PUBLIC RALLIES

Mr Kenyatta and Dr Ruto have in the past held public rallies and high profile meetings in the county since they won the last election in 2017.

The absence of DP in Nakuru and the crumbling political marriage is set to dominate talks among the more than 2 million residents.

Many of President Kenyatta’s supporters in the region say he is taking a risky path by “sidelining” his deputy.

Nakuru is dominated by the Kikuyu and Kalenjin communities who have supported “Uhuru-Ruto” pact.

MPs associated with DP such as Kimani Ngunjiri (Bahati), Samuel Gachobe (Subukia), Charity Kathambi (Njoro), Jayne Kihara (Naivasha), Martha Wangare (Gilgil), David Gikaria (Nakuru East) and Senator Susan Kihika have been aggressively rallying support for Dr Ruto 2022 presidential bid.

EMBARRASSMENT

But the support for DP has turned out to be a political embarrassment to some leaders. Ms Kihika and Mr Gikaria were barred from attending the President’s function on Tuesday.

The fallout is likely to over spill to Nakuru County Assembly and this may scuttle Governor Lee Kinyanjui’s development agenda.

Mr Kinyanjui and Nakuru West MP Samuel Arama are the only high profile Jubilee leaders who are close to the President. The two have never declared their support for Dr Ruto’s bid to succeed Mr Kenyatta.

“This ‘rift’ is likely to spill to the (Nakuru) assembly and create dangerous divisions,” said Naivasha East Ward Rep Stanley Karanja.  

Mr Simon Sangale ole Nasieku, the chairperson of Nakuru Street Traders and Hawkers Association said the absence of DP in a key Jubilee function signals a frosty relationship between the two top party leaders.

BUMPY ROAD

“The President seems to have made up his mind to do away with Tangatanga politicians and is deliberately avoiding them. He is focused on development and not 2022 succession politics,” said Mr Sangale.

A communications expert and lawyer Kipkirui Kap Telwa said Dr Ruto’s absence in Nakuru indicates that the President is out to leave a personal legacy without involving his deputy.

“The President has disrupted his political strong hold in Rift Valley and it is just a matter of time before Jubilee is declared “dead” in the region,” said Mr Kap Telwa

He said the road will be bumpy for supporters of the two leaders in Nakuru due to new political realignments.

POLITICAL BEDROOM

“Nakuru County is regarded as the political bedroom of the two principals and the President has disrupted his support among voters who supported him and DP in 2017,” said Mr Kap Telwa who is a lecturer at Multi-Media University.

The chairperson of People’s Power Watch lobby group Jesse Karanja said the President was angry with his DP for launching early 2022 campaigns and opposing the Building Bridges Initiative.

“The President is busy pushing for his legacy through the Big Four Agenda while the DP is busy campaigning as if the elections will be held tomorrow and this seems to have angered the President,” said Mr Karanja.

SPLIT SUPPORTERS

Mr Andrew Nyabuto, a political analyst said the falling-out will split Jubilee supporters.  

Mr Andrew Yatich, a Kalenjin elder said: “The DP has defied his boss and therefore his current political turmoil is not surprising,” said Mr Yatich.

After President Kenyatta’s home county of Kiambu, Nakuru is regarded as the Jubilee stronghold.

Whichever political formation President Kenyatta will advise his supporters in Nakuru ahead of the 2022 elections, his 100 per cent solid political bloc will remain in doubt as the rift between him and his deputy widens by the day.