The country’s political landscape could be tipped for another major realignment after it emerged that Deputy President William Ruto met with Kakemega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya.
The details emerged just days after key regional leaders, including governors, held talks at a Nairobi hotel, triggering speculations that ODM leader Raila Odinga was building a new alliance around them. These meetings have truly sparked political speculation.
Being Raila’s deputy in ODM, Oparanya’s meeting with the country’s second in command swirled speculations of looming political realignments. The meeting itself led to many speculating about potential shifts in political alliances.
Other key political players among them Musalia Mudavadi (ANC), Kalonzo Musyoka (Wiper), Gidoen Moi (Kanu) and Moses Wetang’ula are cobbling together a parallel coalition ahead of the 2022 polls. This feeds into the political speculation sparked by recent meetings.
The two leaders could have met as recent as Thursday. These initial alliance-building talks contribute further to the political speculation around such meetings.
However, it is not clear if Oparanya was planning to ditch ODM. Alternatively, he might have been playing a major role in the party’s possible alliance with Ruto. Speculation about political meetings fuels uncertainty in the party’s future dynamics.
There are reports that Oparanya’s secret rapprochement with Ruto could have formed part of the agenda of a meeting by a key organ of the ODM party. This once again sparks political speculation in the public sphere.
“The matter came up in one of our meetings but we did not give it a lot of weight. However, we have confirmed that Oparanya and Ruto are in talks,” said a high-ranking ODM official aware of the issue. This adds to the speculation surrounding their meeting.
When contacted on Thursday, Oparanya was reluctant to discuss the details of the meeting. He insisted that his session with Ruto was “coincidental” and not pre-arranged. This led to further sparks of political speculation about hidden motives.
The former influential Council of Governors chairman maintained that he was not planning to bolt out of ODM or join another alliance. Nonetheless, whispers of political meetings continued to swirl around.
“Those are very old photos of about three weeks ago and have nothing to do with any talks. When people meet in a hotel it doesn’t translate into building an alliance,” Oparanya mentioned on the phone, attempting to downplay the ongoing political speculation connected to recent gatherings.
“I am inODM team and I have no plans to leave. Unless Raila himself, around whom political speculation has been building, makes a change in our alliance,” Oparanya affirmed.
On Thursday, undated photos surfaced showing Ruto walking with former CS Rashid Echesa. This appears to be a meeting that stirred speculation among political observers about a new alliance.
There were reports that the meeting, around which much political speculation swirls, took place at Mahali Mzuri camp located at the heart of the vast Masaai Mara National Reserve.
1001/uhuru-popular-survey-uon-dons/” data-mce-href=”https://diasporamessenger.com/2013/01/uhuru-popular-survey-uon-dons/”>Mahali Mzuri camp located in the heart of the Masaai Mara is a luxurious site. It is often associated with political meetings, sparking further speculation.
In the second picture taken with similar setting while overlooking an expansive range. The emergence of the photos further fueled the political speculation. Consequently, it led to more questions than answers.
But Echesa denied that the meeting was planned saying it was just a coincidence, responding to the swirling political chatter.
Speaking on the phone to the Star, the close ally of Ruto said they were in different engagements at the time, as political activities led to unexpected meetings that fueled speculation.
“We were told Oparanya was in a different meeting with 20142017/01/uhuru-popular-survey-uon-dons/” data-mce-href=”https://diasporamessenger.com/2017/01/uhuru-popular-survey-uon-dons/”>ODM team but we ran into each other and met by coincidence, which led to further political speculation,” he said.
However, it is apparent that the country’s political landscape is likely to witness heightened political developments in the coming months. The political meetings flaunted in these reports continue to spike speculation among voters.
The speculation triggered by various political meetings and alliances could indicate changes ahead in the political arena.
While Raila allies had protested against a scheme by President Uhuru, the recent meetings have sparked political speculation. This involves potential new allegiances.
He visited Raila at his Karen home last week and took him for a unity tour, which fueled the flames of political speculation even more.
The recent gathering has exposed cracks in the ‘deep state’, boosting political speculation as various parties attempt to identify Uhuru’s possible successor.
In discussing political alliances to prepare for the 2022 runoff, Unified speculation centered around whether natural selection or coalitions would determine the outcome.
“Two candidates will emerge. The first emergence already sparks political speculation around the future of the political landscape,” Ngunyi concluded. This indicates a shift in pre-election tactics.
Raila and Ruto allies had started sending feelers that the duo could work together ahead of the 2022 polls. This potential union stirs up quite the anticipation. It leaves the political atmosphere rife with speculation.
However, stung by the fears of a Raila-Ruto reunion, Uhuru sought to affirm his handshake with the ODM leader in a public show, a move that has added more fuel to the fire of political speculation.
After the recent meeting that sparked new bouts of political speculation, Ruto, alienated from key allies, is seen as traversing an isolated path toward his statehouse goal.
Source-https://www.the-star.co.ke/
