Deputy President William Ruto has expanded his team of advisers to include political heavyweights as he announced that he would like to serve one seven-year term if he is elected in 2022.
And the advice from is team is also is to craft a kinder, gentler Ruto, support the Big Four and hold fewer harambees where cash is dished out.
Ruto also has supported a proposal that the Constitution be changed to provide that the head of state serves only one seven-year term.
Currently the President is allowed to serve for only two, five-year terms. On Friday Ruto said since President Uhuru Kenyatta had only three years to go, he would like the law changed to allow him serve for only seven years.
Youth leaders from various sectors on Wednesday said they would propose to the Building Bridges Team that the president serve for only seven years.
The DP's new advisory team has been credited with 'slowing down' Ruto in the last few days, especially after President Kenyatta was blunt in telling him to stop campaigning.
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It is understood the DP has a lot of respect for new members of his kitchen cabinet playing a key role in guiding his political journey.
The latest entrants to the inner circle are Council of Governors chairman and ODM Deputy Leader Wycliffe Oparanya, Makueni Governor Kivutha Kibwana and and former Cabinet minister and long-serving Tinderet MP Henry Kosgey.
Others include former Bomet Governor Issac Rutto, who was the DP's critic until he lost his seat in 2017. He was a close ally of ODM's Raila Odinga, later Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka and former Mombasa Senator Hassan Omar.
The DP decided to bring new advisers onboard because he is said to believe that some young advisers are politically naive.
In Kibwana's case, the DP is hoping to use the governor's rising profile to make inroads in Ukambani. Oparanya, who also harbours presidential ambitions, has been included in hopes he will help Ruto make inroads in the populous Luhya community.
Ruto has been making many trips to Western Kenya, the latest being on Thursday when he met Oparanya in Kakamega.
Speaking on Friday at Kitale Showground in Trans Nzoia county, Ruto called for teamwork among all leaders in addressing Kenya's challenges. He spoke during celebrations of Bishop Samuel Thiongo’s 50 years at the Pentecostal Evangelistic Fellowship of Africa.
“Elections are over and this is the time to work together, regardless of party affiliations to change Kenya for the benefit of our people,” Ruto said.
He said leaders can engage in politics later.
“Let’s not talk politics from January to January. Even the Bible tells us that there is a time for everything,” Ruto said.
The new advisers will also be in charge of certain regions, together with others to be brought in ahead on 2022.
Kibwana. who is the Wiper party national chairman lately has led a rebellion against party leader Kalonzo Musyoka. He has, however, refused to resign from the party on his whose ticket he was elected.
The Star has established that the DP’s think tank has crafted a well-knit campaign approach, emphasising reduced public donations, an elaborate churches outreach program and carefully selected political activities.
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The DP’s planning team has embarked on an image rebranding exercise to help their boss shed the ‘corruption' label and present him as a generous, focused and reliable leader with international support.
In the new approach, the DP is expected to increase overseas visits, deliver lectures and get photo opportunities with important people.
On Monday, Ruto offered BBC's Hard Talk an interview in which he opened up for the first time, saying his Weston Weston Hotel is built on illegally acquired land, though he was an innocent buyer.
On Friday, a key member of the DP’s think-tank confirmed to the Star that Ruto had changed tack and would adopt a less confrontational approach while polishing his image.
The think tank has advised that Ruto continue to support President Kenyatta’s legacy projects because their success will give Ruto a head start for 2022.
The strategy team was also behind Ruto’s surprise endorsement of Interior CS Fred Matiang’i’s Cabinet committee for national development, despite fears it would diminish his influence over projects and programmes.
“Whatever you see going forward is not just for the sake of it. It is well thought-out and designed to achieve a political objective,” said a Senator from Rift Valley.
He declined to be quoted by name, as that could be seen to jeopardise the DP's presidential ambitions by revealing his strategy.
“Even the leaders accompanying Ruto will be carefully selected depending on the nature of functions and the required political impact,” the second-term senator told the Star.
Since January, Ruto has slowed down his campaign blitz that characterised the whole of last year when he hit fiver-pitch with countrywide tours to launch development projects. He was accompanied by a a team of politicians branded the Tanga Tanga Squad.
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Immediately after Jubilee rode to power for a second term, the tenacious DP embarked on nationwide trips, meeting grassroots leaders and pledging billions for national projects, putting the country in a campaign mode.
President Uhuru was forced to publicly warn him against early campaigning, saying Jubilee should focus on the Big Four legacy projects — affordable housing, universal healthcare, food security and manufacturing.
However, in the new strategy, there will be no more public harambees unless carefully sanctioned by the DP’s strategists. This is intended to quell public resentment triggered by critics questioning his sources of wealth.
Opposition chief Raila Odinga, the DP’s foremost critic, has led his troops in a vicious onslaught against Ruto, openly questioning the source of cash he donates during public functions.
On Friday analyst Mark Bichachi said the DP had changed tack after his State House ambitions ran into one roadblock after another.
“Ruto has changed approach from his high-octane campaigns. The 2022 campaigns have really gone down. He knows he must support the legacy projects to get a campaign platform in 2022. He is aware that the President’s legacy and his 2022 bid are one and the same,” Bichachi said.
He said the DP’s decision to support the Matiang’i-led team overseeing national development projects was a masterstroke in reducing tension.
Deputy Senate Speaker and Tharaka Nithi Senator Kithure Kindiki, who has been touted as Ruto's running mate said, "Ruto is an experienced and astute politician."
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