Ruto’s changing fortunes after 'pact' with Raila

 

President William Ruto with Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir

President William Ruto, who had become a punching bag of opposition luminaries, is now relishing the moment as enemy territories embrace him days after including ODM bigwigs in his Cabinet.

The Star understands that the President has lined up some tours across key regions across the country as he markets his government of national unity.

The latest inclusion into his Cabinet is expected to give the President a solid backline of defenders following months of criticism of his government and top officials. 

The President could latch on to the newfound camaraderie with the opposition bigwigs to penetrate enemy territories and consolidate the country ahead of the 2027 polls.

Ruto on Thursday started a three-day tour of the Coast region after visiting Tharaka Nithi to affirm his ties with his Interior CS nominee Kithure Kindiki whom he retained in the Cabinet.

On Thursday, the president stormed Mombasa to an ecstatic reception by the residents following the nomination of former governor Hassan Joho as Cabinet Secretary for Mining and Blue Economy.

With the ground having shifted in the last couple of hours following his nomination of ODM leaders into Cabinet, Ruto enjoyed a massive reception during his tour.

Hundreds of residents showed up to welcome the president as he arrived in Mombasa to commission various development projects on Thursday evening.

It was the same reception in Kilifi on Friday where hundreds of residents turned up to welcome him as he opened development projects.

He was in the company of Senate Speaker Amason Kingi and former CS Aisha Jumwa.

Some argue that although Ruto had picked Kingi and Jumwa into government, he had yet to penetrate Kilifi which is considered one of Raila’s strongholds.

Joho’s nomination is said to have triggered a wave of excitement across the Coast region.

The recent reception was a stark contrast to the lukewarm reception that he has often received whenever touring opposition strongholds after his narrow victory against Raila in the 2022 polls.

The President told the residents that his decision to form a broad-based government and the naming of Joho into the Cabinet was meant to ensure inclusivity.

“I appointed a new batch of Cabinet nominees. People of Mombasa, I ask you to support Ali Hassan Joho as a minister in my government. Are you in agreement?” President Ruto asked, receiving affirmative responses from the crowd.

This was the first time that President Ruto received such an arousing welcome from an Azimio-controlled territory in the recent past especially after he faced anti-government protests for weeks.

Joho had been one of Ruto’s foremost critics who tore into his character during the 2022 presidential campaigns while pushing for Raila’s presidency.

Joho had on September 28, 2021, claimed Kenyans were being misled by the ambitious bottom-up economic model.

“Why should government officials, a deputy president or even a president, remind you that you are poor? He was in government all those years, what did he do to alleviate his people's poverty?” posed Joho.

Analysts opine that Ruto’s political fortunes are fast changing with opposition bases likely to warm up to him even more following the formation of the government of national unity.

They argue that the president’s approval ratings could have shored up after he struck a political deal with ODM leader Raila Odinga as a way of steadying the government.

Raila has denied he was consulted before influential allies and top leaders of his ODM party were tapped into Cabinet despite previously holding talks with Ruto.

Political analyst Alexander Nyamboga said the president’s fortunes are changing for the better with “more opposition territories set to embrace him”.

“The last 20 months have been tough for the president, at some point he was running into hostile crowds as he visited various parts of the country, which is now set to change,"  he said.

Nyamboga said that the recent unpopular Finance Bill, 2024 was the trigger that emboldened Kenyans to come out and resist his administration.

“Ruto now has political insulation and defence line after picking key politicians from the opposition into his Cabinet," he said.

The President is also expected to tour Western and Nyanza in the coming weeks in what is seen as a strategy to reassure Kenyans that he continues to listen to their concerns.

In the latest changes, Ruto also named former Kakamega Governor Wyckliffe Oparanya a CS for Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises.

He also picked Ugunja MP Opiyo Wandayi as CS for Energy and Petroleum while ODM chairman John Mbadi was named Treasury CS.

by JAMES MBAKA