With the huslter narrative losing ground and Mt Kenya drifting away DP William Ruto has crafted a new strategy to woo the region back.
In a move aimed at appeasing Mt Kenya, Ruto appointed former Central Bank Governor Prof Njuguna Ndungu to head an “economic recovery team” to help him come up with an economic blue print.
Tapping such a prominent economist to his side is meant to send a message to Mt Kenya that they will play an important role a possible Ruto government.
It was meant to be a coup of sorts that wrongfooted political analysts because of the signal it sent.
Ruto has recently been talking in glowing terms about retired President Mwai Kibaki – hoping to tap to the massive goodwill Kibaki currently enjoys from Kenyans.
Kibaki is credited to having revived Kenyas economy to make it vibrant after years of destruction by Kanu’s regime that ironically Ruto was part of.
This has not gone down well with sections of Kenyans who say Ruto was part of the group that opposed Kibaki in lead up to the 2007 general.
They see him as an opportunistic politician who wants to ride on the popularity of Kibaki.
It has also not escaped analysts that recently UDA has been making pointed appointments aimed at the Mt Kenya optics.
“There is a deliberate attempt to please Mt Kenya and make them confortable in UDA. The appointment of Prof Ndungu is part of the grand scheme,” said political analyst Kanya Maina.
Maina noted that the huslter movement is all but dead hence the need for Ruto to come up with something else urgently
Observers said that tanga tanga MPs from Mt Kenya have also been sending mixed messages indicating trouble in the rag tag political grouping.
The most notable being the comment by former CS Mwangi Kiunjuri who now says he supports BBI and the one man one vote one shilling mantra championed by the supporters of President Uhuru and by extension supporters of the handshake and the BBI.
A casual look at the UDA shows prominet positions have been given to Mt Kenya with the latest being Mr Wanjohi Githae appointment as Director of Communications.
Githae is a veteran journalist who comes from Kerugoya, Kirinyaga county. UDA secretary general Veronica Main is also from Mt Kenya.
