Deputy President William Ruto has crafted an elaborate strategy for his 2022 presidential bid focussing on ‘renegade’ NASA governors.
Ruto is expected in coming days to launch a frenetic and aggressive approach to court influential and popular county chiefs said to have frosty ties with the NASA bosses.
This, Ruto believes, will shore up grassroots backing for his bid, as he prepares to succeed President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Uhuru is expected to be Ruto’s chief campaigner in 2022.
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The plan to use governors ahead of the 2022 campaigns will bring on board MPs, senators and MCAs in opposition strongholds. It will also be supported by Jubilee-friendly poll losers in NASA strongholds who will get plum government jobs after the UhuRuto Cabinet reshuffle in three weeks.
“I know they are courting you and offering you more goodies, but I trust you will stand for what is right and push for justice for Kenyans,” opposition chief Raila Odinga said while addressing the NASA Parliamentary Group meeting at the Wiper headquarters last month.
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The opposition has claimed the ruling party is blackmailing and intimidating some of its leaders to toe the line and support Jubilee.
“We are ready to work with the government of the day. But we need a government that can accommodate everyone. A government that is all-inclusive,” Busia Governor Sospeter Ojaamong said yesterday.
NASA has said the government has threatened to inflate taxes owed by businesses owned by opposition chiefs. They want governors to tone down their stance and in return be given a political lifeline in the government after they serve their second term.
Some governors have slowed down on NASA activities and are absent during demonstrations and press conferences to protest against perceived election injustices. They may not officially leave NASA, but will be loyal to Jubilee. “In fact, Samboja and a few others are the DP’s close friends. But we will reach out to other governors, among them Hassan Joho (Mombasa), Amason Kingi (Kilifi) and Charity Ngilu (Kitui), so that we can concentrate on the transformative plan,” he said.
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