Ruto could choose Musalia as running mate

Deputy President William Ruto may have decided to pick ANC boss Musalia Mudavadi as his running mate. 

The Star established that the DP will then reward Mt Kenya region, his major stronghold, with the position of chief minister, if he wins the presidency in August polls. 

The position which does not require any constitutional amendment to implement will be one in as many plum state jobs that will be given to the region under a Ruto presidency. 

“There are maturing talks about that (Musalia being Ruto running mate) and I think it is a chapter that is almost being closed,” a highly-placed source in Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza said. 

The politician, a close Ruto confidant, said the decision to make Musalia running mate was "an afterthought" in light of emerging "political reality."

“When you look at the ongoing political realignments keenly, especially in Mt Kenya and Western region, it goes without saying that Ruto needs both to clinch the presidency,” he said. 

Last week Senator Cleopas Malala, a staunch ally of Musalia, said that since United Democratic Alliance will be producing the presidential candidate, ANC land the running mate slot. 

Malala is believed to have played a central role in uniting Musalia with Ruto in January.

There are silent jitters in Ruto’s camp that President Uhuru Kenyatta’s aggressive campaigns for ODM boss Raila Odinga could chip away significant Ruto support in Mt Kenya. 

Uhuru’s Jubilee Party is vigorously revamping its grassroots support and has been attracting influential aspirants, exposing Ruto’s flinching grip on the region ahead of the election. 

It is not clear how the vote-rich Mt Kenya basket will respond to Ruto’s pick of Musalia as his running mate, but the DP appears to focus on the presidency without relying only on the region. 

Political analyst and university don Macharia Munene said Ruto could as well pick Musalia without 'significantly' affecting his votes in Mt Kenya.

"Voters vote for the president and not the DP. Ruto will lose one or two leaders out of such action but that will not make him lose Mt Kenya," he said.

Munene said such a decision will have to be informed by research on what such will have on his Mt Kenya support.

"If he finds out that he can turn the tables on Raila in Western and only lose marginally in Mt Kenya, then he will pick Musalia," he said. 

Musalia, a former vice president during the dying days of then President Daniel arap Moi’s Kanu government, has lately been polled as the most preferred Ruto running mate, nationally. 

He was Raila’s chief presidential campaigner in the 2017 polls but fell out acrimoniously after their Nasa coalition disintegrated over trust deficit issues. 

A monthly Radio Africa opinion poll this month showed that Musalia remains Ruto's best running mate at 28.7 per cent followed by Mathira MP Rigathi Gachagua who scored 28 per cent. 

A poll by Trends and Insights Africa in February ranked Musalia the best Ruto deputy with 27 per cent. 

When asked if Ruto agreed to pick Musalia as his running mate, Mumias East MP Benjamin Washiali told the Star that Western Kenya won’t mind “getting DP or not.” 

“If there is an agreement to be done on the positions that we shall get, such a discussion should be broad to include reviving the economy of our region and not just running mate,” Washiali said. 

“We had vice presidents before but our problems remain the same. We don’t want a running mate position so that we are locked out of other positions."

However, another MP in Kenya Kwanza but close to Musalia said that discussions are complete and that it would be a matter of time before the decision is publicly announced. 

“For us to lock Western Kenya and recover the Mt Kenya votes that Azimio will get, we needed to have Musalia as running mate for Ruto,” the MP said. 

He also said the thinking behind the decision is to take advantage of the confusion in Raila’s Azimio in Western Kenya to seize a good number of votes. 

“Should Ruto manage even half of the votes in Western region with some 60 per cent of Mt Kenya, the Deputy President will be home and dry,” he said. 

Raila, Ruto's main rival, has more options in picking his running mate after Narc Kenya leader Martha Karua joined Azimio. It is almost given that he will name his deputy from Mt Kenya.

There has been friction in the Kenya Kwanza fold over Ruto’s running mate with allies of Ruto in Mt Kenya saying that the position is non-negotiable. 

Gachagua, Kandara MP Alice Wahome and Tharaka Nithi Senator Kithure Kindiki have been touted as Ruto’s possible running mates. 

Last month Gachagua, during an interview with a local TV station, said the DP will pick his running mate from Mt Kenya region. 

Gcahagua said both Musalia and Wetang’ula were aware of this when they were joining the alliance. 

However, his remarks triggered tension in the Kenya Kwanza team with Musalia’s allies protesting. 

(edited by Amol Awuor)