A dog, having given a long chase to a fine hare that showed himself to be a splendid runner, was at length forced, by want of breath, to give up the pursuit. The owner of the dog thereupon taunted him upon his want of spirit in having allowed himself to be beaten by the hare.
“Ah master” answered the dog, “it’s all very well for you to laugh, but we had not the same stake at hazard. He was running for his life, while I was only running for my dinner.
In all aspects of life, winning often depends on who most wants to win. And in the next three weeks, Kenyans will be able to see who really wants to win this election by the choices they will make on their teammate.
As it stands, there are two main presidential aspirants in what is a clear two-horse race. All eyes are on ODM leader Raila Odinga and Deputy President William Ruto as they prepare to pick their running mates so as to seek clearance from the IEBC for the August presidential election.
In the 2020 US election, Democratic candidate Joe Biden was neck and neck with then President Donald Trump in the polls. Biden’s masterstroke selection of Kamala Harris as his running mate solidified his win, and rejuvenated his campaign. Harris tipped the polls and made the Democrats win.
In 2008 during the post-election violence, some have opined that President Mwai Kibaki’s selection of Kalonzo Musyoka was the checkmate that gave him the numbers and neutralised Raila’s quest to depict Kibaki as a lone ranger, possibly even cemented his right to the presidency.
The Deputy President is a heartbeat away from the President and can even make or break a government. We have seen how Ruto has almost derailed the Jubilee administration in a way that can be compared to John Garner, America’s 32nd vice president.
When President Uhuru Kenyatta settled on Ruto as his running mate, it was clear that the two had a lot in common and also had the numbers to win the election. This is why their win was guaranteed as soon as they signed their agreement.
Garner had little to do and little influence on the president's policies and he famously described the vice presidency as being "not worth a bucket of warm spit". During Franklin Roosevelt's second term, Garner's previously warm relationship with the president quickly soured, as Garner disagreed sharply with him on a wide range of important issues.
The choices that Raila and Ruto make will therefore be very critical. Already, you can see the dilemma they are facing, especially in ensuring that the rich vote basket of Mt Kenya is catered for. They also have to ensure that they do not lose their current allies.
For Raila, he must ensure that Kalonzo, who was initially hesitant to support his bid, is happy with the choices that are made by Azimio. Kalonzo is probably the most automatic running mate for Raila but just like Ruto, the ODM leader must ensure that Mt Kenya does not revolt as this is very critical for him to win the election.
Ruto’s partnership with ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi also complicates matters for the Deputy President. He has to balance between choosing Mudavadi as his running mate to secure the Western Kenya vote and ensuring that his Mt Kenya support does not fall through the cracks.
For both of them, choosing a running mate from Mt Kenya also complicates their political association with the rest of their partners. If both don’t get a running mate from Mt Kenya then this vote basket may just be in the air and complicate the entire arithmetic.
In my opinion, the options presented by both camps are underwhelming, and a boring continuation of the same old mundane way of doing politics. Unless both camps think outside the box and selflessly put the needs of our nation first, then they will fall into the trap of making a choice that will sink their campaigns.
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