Deputy President William Ruto’s statement that an alliance with ODM leader Raila Odinga cannot be ruled out has thrown his followers in tanga tanga into a major political spin.
Ruto’s supporters especially from Mt Kenya region who have spent the last three years fighting Odinga threatened to withdraw their support if the said alliance becomes a reality.
Some of Ruto’s big political supporters went silent after the declaration by the DP during a radio interview that he and Odinga shared similar ideals especially on the creation of national parties.
Ruto’s statement was telling because it came after some senior ODM figures said they were being frustrated by civil servants and threatened to abandon the handshake.
It also came at a time after the launch of the One Kenya Alliance bringing together Senator Gideon Moi, Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka, Amani Party leader Musalia Mudavadi and Bungoma Senator Moses Wetangula.
The One Kenya Alliance made a calculated political move when they said they would not be fielding a candidate in Bonchari constituency parliamentary by-election favouring to support the Jubilee candidate. They said Jubilee was part of One Kenya Alliance.
A day earlier President Uhuru had met three Coast governors namely Amason Kingi, Salim Mvurya and Hassan Joho. They are said to have discussed many issues touching coast and the establishment of a coastal-based party.
This meeting is said to have rattled both Raila and Ruto and it was no surprise to hear Ruto talk of an alliance with Raila after the meeting caught them off-guard. Raila has not responded to Ruto’s political overture even though he has been at home recovering from Covid-19.
During the Citizen Radio interview, Ruto appeared to direct political jabs at his boss by implying that the President was propping up tribal and regional parties at the expense of national outfits like Jubilee.
He said Jubilee was a national party that was now being destroyed in favour of regional and tribal parties that he said are a threat to nationhood.
