Deputy President William Ruto’s allies have come under criticism for turning the 2022 succession debate into a campaign against Raila Odinga and the March 9 handshake with President Uhuru Kenyatta.
The backlash centers on their repeated claims that the unity deal was designed to frustrate Ruto’s presidential ambitions. Critics say those attacks are politically driven and do little to address the country’s wider problems.
President Kenyatta is described as focused on leaving behind a strong legacy, including peace, cohesion and the fight against corruption. Ruto, for his part, has repeatedly said he supports the Big Four agenda.
Even so, his allies have continued to publicly promote his 2022 bid, sometimes in his presence, while warning Raila against using the handshake to advance his own agenda. The criticism argues that Ruto should rein in those voices.
The Ruto camp has also alleged that detractors were working to block him from succeeding Uhuru. It pointed to two issues: a push to amend the Constitution and an alleged plan to revive the ICC case against him.
Those claims are challenged in the article. It says the constitutional reform push is being driven by Kenyans under the “Punguza Mizigo, Punda Amechoka” initiative, and asks for evidence linking Raila or his allies to any effort to work with the ICC prosecutor against the Deputy President.
The piece also notes that the political climate in 2022 would not mirror 2013, when Kenyans backed the UhuRuto ticket in part because of the ICC cases and the promises made in their manifesto. It adds that the ICC matters were later terminated.
Under the law, the Deputy President is the President’s principal assistant, and the article says voters will ultimately judge Ruto on how he helps implement the Jubilee manifesto.
