Deputy President William Ruto’s allies in Mt Kenya are piling pressure on him to form a coalition in his efforts to capture power in the 2022 General Election.
The DP has previously disparaged political alliance as tribal groupings seeking to access power for oligarchs, and has vowed to build the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) into the next big party.
Instructively, small parties funded by wealthy backers have made a comeback on the political scene in Mt Kenya, jostling to reap from the fallout in Jubilee with President Uhuru Kenyatta retiring next year.
The leaders of the parties are engaged in a vicious fight, trying to outdo each other to capture the attention of leading presidential candidates who are shopping around for running mates.
Yesterday, Mwangi Kiunjuri, the leader of The Service Party (TSP), said he is keen on strengthening his party and fielding candidates, and he will not fold it up in support of any presidential aspirant. He added that while he supports Dr Ruto’s presidential bid, he will use TSP to propel himself to the country’s top decision-making table.
Mr Ruto’s other allies say while UDA is a party that continues to capture the interest of Kenyans, going into the 2022 polls without being in a formidable coalition will be injurious to his presidential bid.
Tharaka-Nithi Senator Kithure Kindiki said while an important plank of Mr Ruto’s campaign strategy is to position himself as a politician committed to tackling the politics of ethnic alliances, the only leadership model that will bring democratic stability and inclusivity in the country is a coalition government.
Prof Kindiki said the DP should allow parties supporting him to form regional parties or coalitions, then converge and form a national coalition that will go in the elections.
“I know my friend DP Ruto has said that he is not interested in coalition-making, but the diversity of the Kenyan society… requires a coalition government,” he said.
Former Tharaka-Nithi governor Samuel Ragwa also said only a coalition government will accommodate the views and interests of all regions. He said DP Ruto should be the first person to advocate for a coalition government having witnessed the persecution of his political allies in Parliament. BY DAILY NATION