From: joachim omolo ouko
News Dispatch with Father Omolo Beste
TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014

Willis from Kisii writes: “Fr Beste is it true that Deputy President William Ruto will run for President in 2017 as Star reported that Ruto’s close confidant and URP activist told the Star yesterday that Ruto is reaching out to leaders across the political divide to cement his candidature in the next elections?”

Willis I can’t say yes or no, but according to what the same Star newspaper reported recently that Deputy President William Ruto and Ford Kenya Leader Moses Wetang’ula are understood to be quietly working on a political pact ahead on 2017 can shade some lights on this allegation.

According to the report the two leaders have been holding regular talks with the aim of a political partnership although details of their discussions have remained scanty. Report says further that Ruto believes Wetangula is a strong politician who has the capacity to mobilize the luhya, unlike Mudavadi and Eugene Wamalwa.

The report alleges that Ruto has been courting the leaders in the region through UDF allied MPs, but he had to abandon the project after it emerged the group, consisting mostly youthful MPs, has no network in the region. Luhyas are the second largest tribe and Jubilee has been trying hard to win over the western region.

It emerged after the Star exclusively reported that the President was about to shuffle his cabinet and bring in Musalia Mudavadi as the minister for information. The report adds that the meetings between Ruto and Wetang’ula, according to a Cord MP, have been taking place since after the March 4th 2013 elections.

Although Ruto has not spoken clearly on the issue, the fact that the Kalenjin (URP) via MP Alfred Keter have publicly said that Kalenjin communities were not happy with President Uhuru on the manner he made a key position appointments mainly favoring his Kikuyu community can tell a lot on corridors of power.

Keter made it public Kalenjin communities were not comfortable with skewed public appointment yet the TNA/URP memorandum of understanding envisioned a 50:50 power sharing! The Kalenjins feel betrayed and would prefer Ruto to go it alone come 2017 presidential election.

The president who had a few weeks earlier appointed John Muthuto contrary to the NACADA Act was humbled when he was forced to revoke the appointment and follow due process of the Law.

It also very clear that Ruto is not so happy with president especially the powers around him. Ruto revealed this on Citizen TV’s Cheche show, saying that in fact Uhuru was misled and that the president was confused as to what steps to take against those who offered bad advice.

Ruto’s revelation did not go down well with Uhuru’s kitchen team, and can confirm the rumors that a few days later after the Cheche show ago Ruto was kept waiting for the president for more that 5 hours, the presidential officers told him the president was relaxing and later said the president was a sleep- Ruto could later drive a way!

Since then according to the report things are not right at the Deputy President’s office. All the budget expenditures must be approved by State House. Ruto is not happy with this.

Another hint that can confirm that Ruto may go it alone in 2017 is what Nandi Hills MP Alfred Keter said recently that the Jubilee government will lose the next election if it fails to tackle corruption perpetrated by top officials, a member of the coalition has warned, citing the rail tender controversy.

The only challenge for Ruto is that Uhuru owns the military. It can explain why Uhuru had to retain Gen Julius Karangi who was due to retire. Similar trick was applied by Kibaki when he retained him after 40 years of service. President Mwai Kibaki extended his term by two years, ostensibly so that the transition in the military would not coincide with the General Election.

Although Uhuru defended himself that Karangi’s retirement is 2015 and for that matter he never extended his term, the calculation here is that by 2015 a number of senior officers will have to retire in keeping with internal administrative rules, popularly known as the Tonje Rules, named after former military chief Gen Daudi Tonje who designed and implemented them.

The internal administrative rules require that the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) retires at 62 years while lieutenant-generals and major-generals retire at the age of 58 and 56 respectively if they are not promoted to the next rank. So Ruto may not be aware what calculation Uhuru is aiming at. Military is to be kept close in any case.

Fr Joachim Omolo Ouko, AJ
Tel +254 7350 14559/+254 722 623 578
E-mail obolobeste@gmail.com

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