Uhuru-Ruto fallout: What caused it?
All indicators point to the fact that President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Deputy William Ruto have suffered a political fallout.
Thus, it’s only a matter of when and not if the divorce between these two is formalised.
Which begs the question, what led to this fallout?
1. Raila Odinga – This is the best place to start. Perhaps. In a typical case of a man (read Uhuru Kenyatta) struggling to keep his two ‘wives’ happy and content, Ruto has emerged as the biggest casualty of Odinga’s newly found bromance with the president.
The DP now appears an isolated and frustrated figure while Odinga appears to be carrying a smile with him at every turn.
2. Ruto’s presidential ambitions – It appears the DP has devised a strategy he believes will propel him to become the next President of Kenya. But this strategy doesn’t particularly include any input or direct support from his current boss.
This has made President Kenyatta and his aides uncomfortable.
Ideally, the current powers that be would want to play kingmaker and to some extent control Ruto when he assumes power.
His independent mind is the source of worry.
3. Central Kenya dalliance – Ruto has moved into Mount Kenya, presumably without President Kenyatta’s blessings and charmed a sizeable constituency of that stronghold.
In plain English, Ruto is trying to inherit President Kenyatta’s ‘property’ when he is still alive.
To put this into context, try doing what Ruto is doing in Central Kenya in the Rift Valley, and find out how the DP will respond.
4. Corruption allegations – Whether by design or default, several of DP Ruto’s aides have been implicated in corruption scandals. Some have been charged in court. President Kenyatta is on the record as stating he is not happy about that development.
Analysts reason that it is this scenario that has several power brokers imagining what a Ruto Presidency would look like.
5. Marriage of convenience – Or maybe President Kenyatta and Ruto were never close buddies as some would have wanted to believe. Theirs was just a marriage of convenience brought about by the quest for power and the fight to kick off the charges at the International Criminal Court.
With this out of the way, there is seemingly nothing that (still) binds the two.