Sola POPOOLA
Like what transpired during the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) era when the unresolved differences between President Olusegun Obasanjo and Vice President Atiku Abubakar halted the latter’s presidential ambition ,same scenario is about to play out in Kenya .
The gulf is beginning to widen between President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Deputy William Ruto ahead of the August 2022 Presidential election.
The Kenya media is awashed on Wednesday with a remarks credited to President Kenyatta which confirmed a deep crisis with his Deputy when he said: ” We have been with my friend William Ruto and I love him .I dont despise him .I dont hate anyone but I hate a liar ” .Thus was considered to be a direct attack on Runo’s personality.
The fallout between kenyatta and Ruto is so complete that the incumbent president has thrown all his weight behind the de facto opposition, instead of supporting his second-in-command to succeed him.
This is a most rare development in the practice of democracy anywhere in the world. It, however, is not new to Uhuru. In the 2007 election, Uhuru was the official leader of the opposition. But instead of rallying the opposition forces against the incumbent President Mwai Kibaki, Uhuru chose to cast his lot with Kibaki,
If you ask Deputy President Ruto and those close to him, the issue lies in the Hustler vs. Dynasty saga. The argument is that those who belong to the dynasty – Uhuru Kenyatta, Raila Odinga, and Gideon Moi – have regrouped to ensure a hustler – William Ruto – does not ascend to the highest seat in the land.
This narrative has garnered quite some movement in the country, but it does not actually explain the fallout between the president and his deputy, nor the fact that the deputy president is unlikely to succeed the president. The explanation lies squarely at the feet of the deputy president – his hubris, raw ambition, lack of humility, and generally taking his succession to the presidency for granted.