Deputy President William Ruto will not run for President in 2017 and will instead back President Uhuru Kenyatta for a second term.
Multiple sources in Jubilee political circles say Ruto will honour the 2013 political agreement whereby Uhuru is to serve two terms.
But he has his eye on the top job in 2022, and expects Uhuru to reciprocate by backing him.
In the meantime, Ruto is preparing for an influential place at the table, with a higher negotiating stake in 2017. To become a power broker, he is consolidating more voting blocs that will give him more say in Uhuru’s second term.
According to Ruto’s close associates, the Deputy President has made multiple trips to Central Kenya, Eastern, the pastoral Rift Valley and Coast to fortify his support base, which he will use to bargain for a bigger piece of the cake.
“You will see him working closely with the Cord leaders from the Coast who are slowly drifting from the opposition. Coast can easily come to our side if we work hard and address the issues that the Coast people are raising,” one Jubilee strategist said, declining to be identified.
The Star has also learnt that Ruto is pushing for Jubilee to expand the 18-member Cabinet and include more people from Western Kenya to leverage the dwindling Cord support.
“The President is too busy to do political work, which is why Ruto is appearing at more rallies. Ruto is the political wing of the presidency. He still wants to be Ruto’s deputy after 2017 but wants to have more say in government by delivering more votes,” one of Jubilee’s political advisers said.
Ruto himself has confirmed that he will back Uhuru in 2017 to respect Jubilee’s pact to lead the country for 20 years.
In June, Ruto said he said he will do so with the expectation that Uhuru will return the favour in the 2022 elections. He said he will not renege on the agreement he signed to support Uhuru for two terms.
He urged the Kalenjin community to remain in the Jubilee government because their interests are fully protected. Ruto said it is “irrelevant” to discuss how to take over government in the 2017 general elections.
“It is still too early to start clashing over positions; we have a lot in our in-tray and the electorate has high expectations of us as leaders and as government,” he said.
“I will vie for the presidency when my time comes, because as a Christian I always believe that God’s time is the best time,” Ruto said.
Ruto made the remarks while attending a funds drive at Seanin AGC Church, Bomet county.
Last weekend, Kericho Senator Charles Keter, right-hand man of the Deputy President, told supporters in Kapsabet that Ruto will not run for President in 2017.
“However, let me make it clear that as people of Rift Valley, there is no demand that people from Central Kenya must support our own because we supported them in 2013 and 2017. We will only pray they see the sense of supporting him (Ruto) when time comes,” Keter said in Kapsabet.
He said any member of the community who feels ready to oppose Uhuru in 2017 should exercise their democratic right to run, instead of pushing for Ruto to contend.
“If you feel you can face President Uhuru, do so, instead of going round and demanding the DP vies. We know what it takes to seek the top seat,” Keter said.
Ruto is also slowly consolidating support among small and pastoral tribes as he prepares to deliver more votes for Jubilee for 2017.
The plan, according to multiple sources, is to ensure that the small tribes remain in URP. According to the 2009 Census, they account for almost 15 million of Kenya’s 40-million-plus population.
Ruto has told the President that if they are to reshuffle the Cabinet due to public pressure, they must ensure the Interior ministry remains in the hands of the small communities.
When he launched URP ahead of the last election, Ruto positioned it as the party of the marginalised and small tribes. These communities inhabit some areas considered Cord strongholds.
Ruto has concentrated on areas such as Kisii, Samburu and Turkana where he has been assuring residents that the Jubilee Government has their interests at heart.
Recently Ruto also visited the Coast region, including Lamu and Kwale counties, with a basket of benefits and promises of more to come. Some Cord in the region have openly denounced the opposition and gave Uhuru an exceptionally warm receptions last week.
“We know why we lost the vote here. We are not fools. And we will see what to do,” Ruto said on his trip to the Coast.
In the Mt Kenya region, Ruto has been to Muranga, Kiambu, Embu and Meru on the same mission.
In the Western region, he has been to Bungoma, Migori and Busia where he promised that Jubilee will serve all communities, regardless of party affiliation.
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