Ruto troops: We shall trounce Raila-Uhuru alliance

 

Deputy President Wiliam Ruto's allies say they are not worried about the push by major Opposition leaders to craft an alliance against him ahead of 2022.

Political analysts warn, however, that a formidable opposition team backed by President Uhuru Kenyatta could easily vanquish Ruto as he makes a first stab at the presidency.

The President on Tuesday held talks with Raila Odinga (ODM), Musalia Mudavadi (ANC), Kalonzo Musyoka (Wiper), Gideon Moi (Kanu) and Ford Kenya's Moses Wetang'ula in a fresh bid to reunite them.

Uhuru for the first time asked the One Kenya Alliance-Oka-leaders to unite and support Raila for the top job.

Despite the President's unity efforts, Ruto's allies are bullish that the DP will floor them.

“We in the Deputy President's camp are not worried by tribal chiefs meeting at a certain corner to plan how to gang up against the DP,” Garrisa Township MP Aden Duale said. 

The former leader of the Majority party in the National Assembly said Ruto will ride the hustler nation platform to annihilate the united front of Uhuru and his political associates.

“The presidency will be determined by the people of Kenya and not by a few leaders trying to craft a formula on how to lock out the son of a peasant from ascending to the country's top job,” Duale said.

"We are going to beat them."

There are indications the President could have settled on Raila as his preferred successor as he retires next year with an elaborate strategy underway to convince other opposition leaders to rally behind him.

But UDA chairman Johnson Muthama, a key ally of Ruto, told the Star the DP has built a formidable team that will deliver victory with ease.

“We want to tell them they can unite as many times as they want. But the time has come when Kenyans have decided to take charge of their destiny through the hustler nation,” the ex-Machakos senator said.

He maintained the leaders coalescing around the handshake so that they can be endorsed by Uhuru have realised their shelf life is over.

“They can come with everything including the 'system' but they should clearly see their time is up and must be ready to respect the will of the people,” Muthama said.

Ruto, who has fallen out with his boss, has announced he will seek the presidency on the UDA ticket, not through the ruling Jubilee Party. He and Uhuru ran on the Jubilee ticket in 2017.

Their ugly breakup is said to be the reason why the President is scheming to bring together the opposition leaders to deny him a chance of succeeding him at State House.

Former South Mugirango MP Omingo Magara, who is also the leader of the People's Democratic Party, told the Star the Tangatanga movement is unshaken by any form of alliances.

"In 2022, for the first time in this country, Kenyans are going to use their votes to protest against a few individuals trying to destroy their destiny. Let them bring it on,” Magara, a Ruto ally from Kisii, said.

However, nominated MP Maina Kamanda who supports Raila dismissed Tangatanga's confidence, saying they will be swept aside by an unprecedented political wave.

“Nobody should cheat himself that they will beat a team of the President working together with Raila. For the mountain, the Tangatanga team should be ready for a rude shock in 2022,” Kamanda said.

The former Starehe MP said in the coming weeks, especially after the ruling on legality of BBI, Raila's road to State House will be clear.

“Already we are marketing the ODM leader in Mt Kenya and he will traverse the region soon as we reclaim the region,” Kamanda added.    BY THE STAR