One of them, Governor Simba Arati, implored the President to lead the country knowing his victory is equivalent to a football team winning a game by a goal cleverly scored by hand. The comment was directed at Ruto, who was a few feet away and wore his signature smile as the governor made the remark.
The President on the same tour implored Azimio la Umoja leader Raila Odinga to vote for him in 2027. Ruto said he supported and voted for Raila in 2007, following which Raila became Prime Minister.
He thus argued that it was now time for Raila to repay the support as it would only be fair.
"Mimi nilihangaika sana juu yake. Badala ya kupanga maandamano, wewe jipange unipigie kura 2027 ndio mambo ikuwe even (Instead of planning demonstrations, prepare to vote for me in 2027 so things can be even)," he said.
The remarks by President Ruto and Governor Arati are significant.
By Ruto smiling and not a word in rebuttal to Arati’s pointed assertion, even from his key supporters, it is a recognition of the facts as they are.
It is also a fact there are no perfect elections anywhere in the world. A declared winner, even under the circumstances of 2022, is the winner.
Ruto won the elections or more accurately, Raila lost the elections for reasons that are by now well documented or publicly articulated. I was there during the campaigns and witnessed first hand many of the reasons why Raila lost. There should not be any debate about that.
It is also a further fact that we only have one president at a time. Ruto was declared president, the declaration unsuccessfully challenged at the Supreme Court. There is no undoing that other than to try in 2027 and good luck at that.
Talk of storming State House and removing Ruto from office is reckless, besides being a recipe for arrest, trial, and conviction for crimes against humanity at The Hague for those most responsible. Kenya as a sovereign nation can take care of the predictable outcome from such a reckless and wanton events.
The Azimio protests, which are not the mass action that was promised, can easily morph into the aforementioned attempt. This is the reason most of us oppose and continue to oppose them be they mass or garden variety protests.
As we have argued and continue to make the case, the President needs time to fully constitute his government and execute his vision and that of Kenya Kwanza. A few months into his presidency is not it and—yes, people are suffering but leadership is not to exploit it but supporting the president to do the right thing and in due time.
No one can argue with the fact Raila has earned his chops as a fearless leader and statesman who has sacrificed a lot and one of Kenyan heroes in the Second Liberation. That fact cannot change. However, it can be sullied and no one wants that, not Raila, not his supporters, not those who put the country first.
Were Raila to reach out to Ruto and were the President to warmly receive him and find common ground for the way forward, they would place themselves in the highest pedestal of Kenyan politics, even above the 2018 handshake.
We need and must have that for the continued antagonism and worse is nothing any of us wants, certainly not the president, not Raila for country is bigger than anyone person no matter how great and powerful or influential.
