- Analyst warn that a political standoff could have far-reaching economic ramifications.
- Raila has already declared that he does not recognise Ruto as president.
Image: ANDREW KASUKU
Veteran opposition leader Raila Odinga is proving to be President William Ruto's major headache in the implementation of his ambitious hustler agenda.
Ruto had promised to turn around the country's economy, bring down the cost of living and restore sanity in the management of public finances.
However, barely five months after his ascension, the president is facing a political conundrum with Raila's Azimio-led opposition threatening to spoil the party for him.
Raila, who lost narrowly to Ruto in the August presidential duel, has placed massive political landmines on the president's path that now threaten government programmes.
Like his predecessors who have been forced to contend with Raila's rebellion following presidential polls, Ruto is walking a political tightrope on his Kenya Kwanza plan as Raila digs in.
The coming weeks would be very decisive for the opposition as it seeks public support to mount what it has termed as major resistance against Ruto's administration.
Political analysts and players have warned that Raila's fresh path could push Ruto into a corner and trigger a fightback that could hurt the country's stability and cohesion.
Former Presidential candidate Ekuru Aukot warned that Raila was pursuing a dangerous road that could plunge the country into chaos.
"The direction Azimio is taking is dangerous for the country. There are better ways of seeking justice. Incitement isn't one of them,” Aukot said.
At the same time, Aukot urged President William Ruto to focus on the implementation of his agenda for the millions of Kenyans.
“UDA on the hand, must also now focus on delivery as per your plan," Aukot said.
Raila is planning an aggressive onslaught against Ruto's administration in the coming weeks in a bid to force Ruto into the negotiating table.
The opposition chief is scheming to have his supporters pour into the streets to protest what they have termed as impunity by Ruto in the process of recruiting new IEBC commissioners.
It is not clear if the protests would force Ruto to climb down on his tough stance and talk with the opposition over the composition of the panel that will hire IEBC chiefs.
Raila is planning mass action and a series of political rallies across major towns in the country as he pushes for electoral reforms and an end to the President's tax regime.
The Azimio leader is resisting Kenya Kwanza's move to do away with subsidies on basic commodities, food, petroleum and electricity saying the decision has been influenced by international lenders.
"I am ready to die until we get justice,” Raila said on Monday during a rally at Nairobi's Kamukunji grounds as he launched the opposition resistance against Ruto.
Analysts opine that the planned opposition protests could hurt the government's programmes and delay the rollout of Kenya Kwanza's development plan.
In the past, including the political standoff that followed the 2017 polls, the country lost billions of shillings in lost opportunities for investments, slowing down the economy.
“The burden of the 2017 post-election stand-off would amount to billions of shillings that saw the economy nosedive and which took a lot of efforts to rebuild,” warned political analyst Waweru Kithagama.
Then President Uhuru Kenyatta admitted that it took his decision to broker a political truce with Raila to set the country firmly on the path of development and progress.
Ruto, who discredited the Uhuru-Raila handshake as a ploy to plan presidential succession, could be forced to the negotiating table with the opposition leader should matters get out of hand.
However, Ruto has vowed not to entertain handshake talks with Raila, insisting that the arrangement was responsible for the economic mess that marred the country.
“These people want nothing but a handshake. I want to tell them early enough, forget the handshake…and don’t tell us you don’t want it. We can see you from far,” President Ruto said.
The President, who was reacting to Raila’s call for resistance to the Ruto administration at Kamukunji in Nairobi, said he will not allow the opposition to destroy the economy and businesses.
Analysts say how Ruto navigates the challenges posed by Raila would shape his first term.