I must honestly declare my interests. I’m not Kenyan but Tanzanian though Kenya’s my second home. After all, I’m one bin-Adam who despise colonial imposed borders on Africans who are supposed to be nothing but Africans in their continent of Africa like the Aussie are. Therefore, what I’m to posit here’s purely out of professional lenses but not political affiliation thanks to its sensitivity. I’m not seeking audacity to establish or have theodicy or deific interpolation amidst the confusion the situation in Kenya asks for and causes all resulting from the schemes for 2022 presidential ambitions. You can call the presidency the evil that’s hunting and haunting Kenya as far as tribal configurations are concerned. There’s a confusion, especially in the country muddied by tribal politics, dangers, interests, and sentiments. To insightfully begin with, I invoke the wisdom of the sage that says that you can choose a friend but not a neighbour. You can divorce a spouse but not a neighbour. Therefore, as a Tanzanian, there’s no way I can avert to be touched upon with what’s ongoing in my neighbours’ houses. By the virtue of neighbourhood and professionalism, I’ve the right to address the matter in point as noted in the heading.
Hopefully, many still remember how president Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta and his deputy president William Kipchirchir Samoei arap Ruto became what’s later known as UhuRuto; after the duo shocked the world by pulling a surprise that’s never been seen anywhere as accused persons who were able to get into power and thereafter acquitted of the heinous offences charged with. Knowing the danger that the duo’s facing–––despite being members of incompatible flanks–––they beat the odds and came together to fight the case and for the power by exploiting the sympathy they enjoyed from their tribal cocoons that catapulted them to power surprisingly. After getting in office, momentarily the duo became twins or yin and yang whose bromance their enemies begrudged. Their faces were always packed with beams, camaraderie and power becoming a joint biz. Nevertheless, as Uhuru steadied himself in power, those who underestimated him–––calling him kamwana or the boy–––started to evidence changes to maturing quickly and asserting his authority.
Despite enjoying a short time bliss, after securing and safeguarding power and being acquitted of the case and the danger that brought two nemeses together, nature took its toll on the twosome. Everybody started to secretly plot how to extricate himself from the clasp of another. Uhuru sought to enjoy his power alone as president without necessarily sharing it with his deputy. The tango they’re in asked for everybody to go solo. Similarly, Ruto started to plan to keep his clench on power using Uhuru to succeed him after finishing his constitutional two terms in office in 2022. To do so, Ruto had to prove that he’s the force to be reckoned with either as a co-owner of power or a kingmaker seeking to be made king by the one he made one. He wanted to show that the presidency was a shared biz between the twosome under a 50/50% basis, as per Johana Ng’eno (MP), one of Ruto’s sidekicks. He started making statement that no VP had ever made; and started to see himself more dissimilar and superior than other former vice presidents. For, he’s not a VP but a DP who’s on the ballot with Uhuru whereas no VP’s ever been the ballot in the history of Kenya.
Again, why did Uhuru and Ruto behave the way they did? As for Uhuru, firstly knew he no longer needed Ruto granted there’s no office in the land that he’d aspire for as former president. secondly, Uhuru knows how ambitious Ruto’s; and the way he ganged up with him not because of love or trust but to use him as a conduit to power and safety. Thirdly, Uhuru’s inner circle that, apart from knowing Ruto, suspected he’d crucify them had he succeeded to use their man to get to power.
As for Ruto, firstly, he knows that the case that brought the duo together is long gone. Secondly, he knew that Uhuru won’t have become president without his support, and he wouldn’t have become DP without using Uhuru whose name and networks provided sure wherewithal to power. However, if the two are compared, Ruto benefited more from Uhuru than the latter did from the former. More importantly, looking at this untoward equation, who needs whom, when, how; and, by extension why, after seven years in office? Banking on their communities, the duo stole thunder after living two different lives as they stalked each other. Again, they both share a nexus in that they’re all indicted by the ICC. Similarly, they’re cloned by KANU whose dirty long-ago they can’t escape shall we probe them microscopically. So, too, they’re all acquitted after the Kenyan government of the time under Mwai Kibaki refused to cooperate with the ICC. All these are but history that can’t bind the two together anymore.
Importantly, the duo’s unified by the then looming ICC’s menace, which, in the end, turned out to be a blessing in lieu of a curse that’s surfacing now. Because of this menace, the duo ganged up together to run for presidency in order to defeat the end of justice. They successfully and shrewdly did. After psyching and finding that the president of Kenya and his deputy enjoy immunity, the duo sought to get the job that’d saved from the wrath of the ICC, which it did by forcing Kibaki regime to work with and for them. Because of the probabilities to win, the government that they’re seeking to take over from got the message and supported them for two reasons. Firstly, by then, the duo’s a better enemy than the opposition led by Raila Odinga. Secondly, Uhuru’s the member of the outgoing government. Thus, he’s a winning horse for the outgoing government. It came to pass that the duo played their cards nicely so as to get backing from the Kibaki government. Scratch my back; I’ll scratch yours. Verily, after landing in power, the duo saw to it that Kibaki’s dirty linens–––among which are the Anglo-leasing mega scandal and others–––weren’t put on the agora for every eye to see and laugh. This is an African way. The hyena that knows you eats you with mercy. Swahili sage’s it that the ghost that knows you does can’t eat you until it finishes you. More importantly, if you climb up a tree, you must climb down the same tree. This is what Ruto didn’t understand and accept.
Currently, the reality’s that the same communities that propelled the duo to power must forget to do it again in 2022 precisely when Uhuru retires. By the look of things, Uhuru won’t back Ruto as his once promised quid pro quo. Ruto made a mistake to believe that the communities that delivered them victory are static or UhuRuto’s private estate. Things do change; and they change dramatically. Who knows that Ruto will still have the same appeal to his community let alone Kenya? Who knows if the coming general elections will bring a surprise to the duo? Who knows that the sympathy people had, thanks to the ICC’s indictment, will still be there while the ICC case was terminated many years ago? Similarly, the cant that Uhuru must back Ruto can’t help Kenya. For, politics isn’t about a love story. It’s about interests for both voters and those they vote for. By the way, ICC case is gone. Is there any reason[s] that the two communities will vote for Ruto? African sage’s it that don’t set sail on someone else’s star.
In sum, to prove that things bichenjanga as Mudavadi would put it, namely–––things do change–––Uhuru’s already said categorically that he’s working for his legacy. To succeed in doing so, he decided to embark on the handshake with his former foe-turned friend, Raila Odinga who seems to steal thunder. To prove that this move, Ruto is no longer in the equation in succession politics. He wasn’t consulted or invited during the handshake that’s shaken his marriage with Uhuru. As the things seem, the bromance between Raila and Uhuru’s inexorable and more of the UhuRaila replacing UhuRuto. Those who want to assess and thereafter gauge what’ll transpire, must consider how the Building Bridges Initiatives–––which’s Uhuru’s and Raila’s hobbyhorse–––is doing currently. Indeed, Uhuru and Ruto aka UhuRuto’s nothing but the yin and yang that have become like chalk and cheese. What we see now, I can boldly predict; is nothing but the beginning of the end of the entire UhuRuto project, if I may use the term.
Source: African Executive Magazine today.
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