Ruto, Raila ‘secret sacred’ alliance in the offing?

By Mourice Seretta

Word has been going round that Deputy President William Ruto and the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Party Leader Raila Odinga may join hands and a form a political Alliance or Coalition a head of the 2022 General Elections.

If what both Ruto and Raila allies have been saying verbally or posting on their various social media platforms, then it will come to pass then that the two may be crafting a formidable alliance or coalition ahead of the polls.

The two have been traversing the country in the recent past in a charm offensive aimed at consolidating their political bases, before President Uhuru Kenyatta slammed brakes on political gatherings after issuing new containment measures aimed at curbing the rising cases of Covid-19 pandemic.

During the Matungu and Kabuchai by elections in Western Kenya, the two pulled all stops to have their candidates carry the day in the mini polls but their efforts were frustrated by the new found political dalliance of ANC’s Musalia Mudavadi and Ford Kenya’s Moses Wetangula.

Following that unity of purpose between Mudavadi and Wetangula, ANC’S candidate Peter Nabulindo won the Matungu by-election while Ford Kenya’s Majimbo Kalasinga carrying the day in Kabuchai.

However, Ruto and Raila’s efforts paid dividends as their candidates got away with a good number of votes in both constituencies.

Urban centers have not been left behind by the two top politicians.

Ruto and Raila have been traversing Nairobi, Mombasa and Nakuru as they seek to capture the imagination of urban voters.

For instance in Nairobi, it is touted that they are trying to have the Akamba and Luhya nations work together and vote as one block. It is also the same case in the coastal region weher they are working to ensure the Akamba together with the rest of the Coastal people are also united under one basket.

The two also want to rope in Baringo Senator Gideon Moi.

Senator Moi will come on board to help rope in the votes of the Pokots, Turkana and the Maa communities. Many of the listed communities are said to still be believing that KANU is the party of choice.

Central Kenya is also warming up to the BBI process, and maybe the new alliance or coalition that may pop up between Ruto and Raila.

First to let the cat out of the basket was Gatundu South Member of Parliament Moses Kuria who revealed a secret plan by Deputy President William Ruto to work with Raila Odinga ahead of the 2022 General Election.

Speaking to online influencer Gerald Bitok, Kuria claimed an alliance between Ruto and Raila was in the offing and will be made public once it is finalized.

“I was the first one to predict the handshake before it happened. Raila is my man and I understand him very well. Raila Odinga and William Ruto will work together before the 2022 General Election na kuna watu wataachwa kwa mataa (some people will be left in the cold) in what would be Raila’s last bullet for real,” the lawmaker confidently said.

No non other that Kirinyaga Woman Representative Anne Ngirici has been giving signals indicating that the said alliance or coalition is in the offing.

Taking to Facebook on Sunday, March 7, Wangui used a coded language to describe the suspected alliance saying it is possible for wheelbarrows to carry oranges and watermelons.

“Politics is very dynamic. It’s very possible for the wheelbarrow to carry oranges and water melons. This is the most common arithmetic in our markets, let us embrace political tolerance,” said Ngirici in one of her social media posts.

In decoding her message, the second in command has been dishing out wheelbarrows while empowering ‘hustlers’ whom he banks on their votes to succeed President Uhuru Kenyatta.

Raila’s ODM party uses an orange as its logo while Kalonzo has been christened a watermelon due to his constant change in political stands and decisions.

Ngirici also last week joined Interior and National Government Coordination Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho in marking 100 years of the Akorino denomination in the country at Gathaka Grounds, Kirinyaga County.

It is worth noting that BBI was domiciled at Kibicho’s office and Ngirici’s online remarks after the meeting were of interest owing to the fact that she has been opposing BBI since inception.

Ngirici who has been an ally of Deputy President William Ruto and a member of the Tangatanga faction of Jubilee Party, has been openly rejecting the BBI proposals.

“We don’t need to share the same opinions as others, but we need to be respectful.” She posted on her social media platforms.

Ngirici has been campaigning against the BBI proposals for instance the proposals to raise county allocation to 35 per cent up from 15 per cent, extra constituencies and seven-year tax holidays for business startups by the youths arguing that they were baits for the groups’ support.

“Why would we have more than 600 parliamentarians yet we still are incapable of sustaining the crucial activities that turn the turbines of our economy?” she earlier asked.

She was at logger heads with both Kibicho and Governor Anne Waiguru who have been proponents of the BBI in the County.

Her change of tune may also be a pointer that a lot of political realignments will take place not only in the populous County but also a pointer that the national politics will start to take shape after the BBI goes through a referendum.

With about 16 months left to the next General Election, the Mt Kenya region, for the first time in history, is still undecided on whether or not to field a presidential candidate in 2022.

The region is also grappling with identifying a political kingpin after the exit of Uhuru in 2022.

However, some of Ruto’s allies have said there is no such a plan of Ruto uniting with Raila ahead of 2022.

United Democratic Alliance Chairman Johnson Muthama recently said the party’s ideology and programs are different from those of ODM. UDA is linked to DP Ruto

The former Machakos senator said, “Raila believes in empowering tycoons and the top of the pyramid while Ruto is for the empowerment and uplifting of the hustlers. UDA is pursuing a pro-people agenda while Raila is after power. For months now, we have been building a party that has a different ideology altogether. Different from what some of our competitors believe in,” Muthama said.

Another Ruto ally Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichung’wah said some political brokers would like a Raila-Ruto alliance after they realized that they are unable to persuade the people of Mt Kenya to abandon the DP.

“The people of Mt Kenya have seen the good deeds of the DP and the plans he has that resonate well with them. The hustler movement is unstoppable,” he said.

Ichung’wah said the DP is focused on selling his vision and agenda to the people and has publicly said he is not seeking an endorsement, except the people.

“Talk of him working with Raila is the fertile imagination of political conspiracy theorists,” he said.

It will be a matter of time to see if the speculation of such an alliance will come to fruition.