No doubt. Kenya’s Deputy President, William Ruto is in a political limbo if not hot soup. If we can make sense of President Uhuru Kenyatta’s open avowal to back his archnemesis, former PM Raila Odinga in the coming general elections. This makes Ruto’s dreams to succeed his boss in toto unactualizable. Again, whom to blame in the first place? Ruto is. Why? The following reasons speak volumes as to why Ruto won’t make it to the statehouse in the coming general elections.
Firstly, Ruto goofed wrongly thinking that his political marriage with Kenyatta was the upshot of love. He however knew that this marriage of inconvenience was necessitated by the then looming ICC’s case the duo faced together. Maybe, he thought he’d outsmart or change Kenyatta before being outsmarted or shortchanged. Ruto knew that ganging up with Kenyatta won’t only provide an opportunity to take a stab at power but also would award and guarantee him support from the then government of Mwai Kibaki since Kenyatta was part of it.
Firstly, Ruto goofed wrongly thinking that his political marriage with Kenyatta was the upshot of love. He however knew that this marriage of inconvenience was necessitated by the then looming ICC’s case the duo faced together. Maybe, he thought he’d outsmart or change Kenyatta before being outsmarted or shortchanged. Ruto knew that ganging up with Kenyatta won’t only provide an opportunity to take a stab at power but also would award and guarantee him support from the then government of Mwai Kibaki since Kenyatta was part of it.
And, indeed, Ruto survived by using Kenyatta. Maybe, this made Ruto wrongly believe he’d use Kenyatta to achieve his covert goals. On Kenyatta’s side, he used Ruto to access Kalenjin votes. And this averted the duo the danger they’re temporarily facing together. Importantly, it’d be noted that Kenyatta didn’t like or love Ruto and vice versa. They’re just strange bedfellows. It was a strategy for survival since it didn’t only enable the duo to get assistance from the government but also awarded them presidency, which, though was Kenyatta’s but not for the duo.
Provided that Ruto survived on Kenyatta’s back, he forgot that the duo wasn’t equal and the same. Neither was it in true love. Thus, he lacked patience and needed more. The sage has it that nothing should be done in a hurry except catching fleas. Instead of studying his boss, Ruto myopically lowballed him and started behaving as a co-president instead of deputy. This has its dangers. Presidency’s a pomp position that doesn’t want any interference or co-ownership. Refer to what happened when Kibaki and Odinga entered the GNU not to mention the neighbouring South Sudan. To survive, Ruto needed unflappability of living in the stupor under the wings of his boss. Had he done this, Ruto would now be grinning instead of being grumpy.
Secondly, Ruto needs to blame and curse his overconfidence that blinded him to view Kenyatta as the guy he’d easily use as a door to the statehouse. Kenyatta’s born a politician who grew up in political family. He also enjoyed the backing and tutelage of Moi and Kibaki. Ruto’s overconfidence deluded Ruto and thereby forgot that almost all Kenya’s presidents were supported by someone to get to power. Kenyatta senior was supported by Odinga Senior. Moi by Kenyatta Sr and Kibaki by Odinga Jr and soon Odinga Jr will be supported by Kenyatta Sr paying his father’s debt. Who’s Ruto to disturb this legacy and strategy?
Thirdly, Ruto underestimated Kenyatta who’s smarter and more pre-emptive than Ruto. When he started acting as a co-president while he wasn’t, he forgot that nobody likes to share what’s his or hers otherwise doing so is for her/his advantage. In co-owning presidency, many things can happen. For example, what if the co-president seeks to dwarf another not to mention abusively using power to undermine another. By acting as a co-president, Ruto exposed himself, mainly when he started to be linked with venality and amassing wealth illegally. Failure to think that being a deputy president didn’t give Ruto automatic power of sharing power is the mistake he’ll forever regret. This is an albatross around his neck. It’s very hard to dispel or overcome. It becomes even harder when a tycoon like Ruto runs under the slogan of hustler that he realistically isn’t. This shows him as a con who seeks to hoodwink the majority of the Kenyan poor people. Sane people would want him to explain how he quickly amassed the alleged mammon.
Fourthly, Ruto refused to learn from history, especially that of his mentor and cloner, Moi who tolerated many blitzes and degradation from Kenyatta’s inner circle. This assured Kenyatta that if anything would happen as it did, he or his family would be in safe hands. What Ruto did is to count chickens before hatching.
Fifthly, Ruto failed to study Kenyatta’s decoys, namely caginess, clandestineness, unfussiness and wiliness. The sage’s it that wise men are never in a hurry. Kenyatta waited for the right moment to foray back, and he succeeded without any ado. So did Odinga. When Kenyatta pretended that he’s comfortable with Ruto’s behaving and thinking he’s co-president, Ruto bit a bait. Had it not been Ruto’s greed for power hurry and myopia, today, Ruto would have been preparing himself to succeed his boss.
Provided that Ruto survived on Kenyatta’s back, he forgot that the duo wasn’t equal and the same. Neither was it in true love. Thus, he lacked patience and needed more. The sage has it that nothing should be done in a hurry except catching fleas. Instead of studying his boss, Ruto myopically lowballed him and started behaving as a co-president instead of deputy. This has its dangers. Presidency’s a pomp position that doesn’t want any interference or co-ownership. Refer to what happened when Kibaki and Odinga entered the GNU not to mention the neighbouring South Sudan. To survive, Ruto needed unflappability of living in the stupor under the wings of his boss. Had he done this, Ruto would now be grinning instead of being grumpy.
Secondly, Ruto needs to blame and curse his overconfidence that blinded him to view Kenyatta as the guy he’d easily use as a door to the statehouse. Kenyatta’s born a politician who grew up in political family. He also enjoyed the backing and tutelage of Moi and Kibaki. Ruto’s overconfidence deluded Ruto and thereby forgot that almost all Kenya’s presidents were supported by someone to get to power. Kenyatta senior was supported by Odinga Senior. Moi by Kenyatta Sr and Kibaki by Odinga Jr and soon Odinga Jr will be supported by Kenyatta Sr paying his father’s debt. Who’s Ruto to disturb this legacy and strategy?
Thirdly, Ruto underestimated Kenyatta who’s smarter and more pre-emptive than Ruto. When he started acting as a co-president while he wasn’t, he forgot that nobody likes to share what’s his or hers otherwise doing so is for her/his advantage. In co-owning presidency, many things can happen. For example, what if the co-president seeks to dwarf another not to mention abusively using power to undermine another. By acting as a co-president, Ruto exposed himself, mainly when he started to be linked with venality and amassing wealth illegally. Failure to think that being a deputy president didn’t give Ruto automatic power of sharing power is the mistake he’ll forever regret. This is an albatross around his neck. It’s very hard to dispel or overcome. It becomes even harder when a tycoon like Ruto runs under the slogan of hustler that he realistically isn’t. This shows him as a con who seeks to hoodwink the majority of the Kenyan poor people. Sane people would want him to explain how he quickly amassed the alleged mammon.
Fourthly, Ruto refused to learn from history, especially that of his mentor and cloner, Moi who tolerated many blitzes and degradation from Kenyatta’s inner circle. This assured Kenyatta that if anything would happen as it did, he or his family would be in safe hands. What Ruto did is to count chickens before hatching.
Fifthly, Ruto failed to study Kenyatta’s decoys, namely caginess, clandestineness, unfussiness and wiliness. The sage’s it that wise men are never in a hurry. Kenyatta waited for the right moment to foray back, and he succeeded without any ado. So did Odinga. When Kenyatta pretended that he’s comfortable with Ruto’s behaving and thinking he’s co-president, Ruto bit a bait. Had it not been Ruto’s greed for power hurry and myopia, today, Ruto would have been preparing himself to succeed his boss.
Again, when Kenyatta said Ruto would succeed him after finishing his two term-presidency, Ruto’s blindly and pointlessly on cloud nine little knowing that a week in politics is a long time. Anything can change since Ruto failed to underscore the fact that humans are fickle. Who knew Kenyatta would back his archnemesis and dump his VP? Again, were Kenyatta and Ruto buddies or two enemies in the same bed?
Source: African Executive Magazine tomorrow.
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