Deputy President William Ruto finds himself in a confusing situation. He is the second in command of the Republic of Kenya, a position that he has held for close to 10 years. It is an unusual position because he finds himself estranged after falling out with his boss, President Uhuru Kenyatta.
In the race to succeed his boss, Ruto was hoping to have the full backing of the President. However, as things changed and it became clearer each day that he had lost himself the President’s support, Ruto’s tune, tone and stand on matters began to change. This change of affairs in his political board clearly gave the DP a moment of transformation.
Recently, Ruto has come out clearly to express his concerns over what he terms plans to interfere with the results of the upcoming presidential election. And this week, his lieutenants Moses Wetang'ula and Musalia Mudavadi repeated the same claims in their Western Kenya backyard.
While this is not a new claim in Kenya, it is unusual coming from the person of the Deputy President. In the last two election periods, Ruto exuded unmatched confidence in the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission and was the fiercest defender of the electoral process.
When his and President Kenyatta’s rivals in the defunct Cord and Nasa coalitions made claims of election rigging, Ruto advised them to unconditionally accept election results as they are a reflection of the will of the majority of Kenyans.
Another election period is here and the election day is nigh. Ruto is facing off with his main challenger for the presidential seat, Raila Odinga.
The Deputy President has treated the nation to doublespeak where one time he alleges plans to interfere with the results of the election and the next time he is demanding that his competitor commits to unconditionally accept the results of the presidential election.
As a leader of his stature, Ruto should walk the talk. Just like he demands of Raila, he should also make an unconditional commitment to accept the results of the election, whether they turn out in his favour or not.
Even for slow scientists, this phenomenon is not hard to comprehend. To validate one’s disapproval of any process, one starts by casting public doubt on the process. Once public confidence in the process has waned, the ground is set for easy discrediting of the process.
By alleging that they are well aware of plans to influence election results against them, the Kenya Kwanza team led by Ruto is essentially attempting to erode the confidence of the public and the international community in the electoral process and the credibility of the outcome.
If this is achieved, they are well aware that it will challenge the legitimacy of the elected leadership, at least in the public domain. Would Ruto and his team want the legitimacy of their victory called into question? I highly doubt that.
The only logical conclusion is that they are working so hard to discredit the results of an election that is months away because they feel that the voice of the majority of the electorate is not in their favour and therefore, they may not be the ones elected.
Political support and football support are fanatical. The difference is that political supporters do not have the patience and perseverance of Arsenal supporters who take every defeat, however disappointing, and every trophy-less season with remarkable hope that they can win next time.
Political supporters are easily charged and the only way to manage how they react is for their leaders to reassure them that there is no foul play, and that life goes on, even after an election defeat.
This is basic knowledge and the DP and his political team are well aware that inflammatory remarks such as rigging claims could easily cause restlessness and violence among their supporters should the election not turn out in their favour. This has happened before and the aftermath is what the country has chosen to rise above.
It beats logic for Ruto, who has been in government for almost two decades, to start peddling claims of state interference in the election. Which state is this that he is not aware of? How are his claims different from the ones made by the opposition previously and which he strongly condemned?
Ruto and his Kenya Kwanza brigade should utilise the remaining time to campaign to the best of their ability and stop setting grounds for rejecting election results.
Claims of election interference way before they happen, with no substantial evidence, are a mere attempt to whip up emotions and is the highest form of political dishonesty.
Let us shun the culture of sore losers in political contests. Kenya will outlive all of us and should be allowed to stand tall regardless of who wins or loses an election.
But the Deputy President might be setting the stage for more. His association with former Sports minister Rashid Echesa and the fake arms saga at the former’s office, coupled with that suspicious Turk, do not augur well with post-election peace.
One just hopes that is not on the cards!
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