2020 will perhaps be remembered for its subtle declarations, surprise coalitions, and shocker moments in general – By Gerald Gekara.
At the center of it all is the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) that in just a span of 6 months, morphed from a mere report to a constitutional petition.
President Uhuru Kenyatta made firm his stance on the need for constitutional review inorder to accommodate ‘the wish of Kenyans’. His deputy however, did not swallow well with the stand of his party leader.
2020 for Deputy President William Ruto has been a year of cementing his political character while peeling back his fiery stance akin to the old reform tractor Raila Odinga.
He has been on record against his boss’ ambition to have the constitution amended, and has resorted to chart his own path. More like jumping ship to plant a bomb.
Ruto has amassed a huge following of ordinary people, with a ‘them vs. us’ strategy that seeks to scatter political bigwigs from the ordinary citizens. He has on several occasions accused Raila Odinga of destabilizing the Jubilee party through the BBI.
During the launch of the BBI report, Ruto’s reservations on the peacebuilding document were openly heckled, a first for a leader of such ranking, by members of parliament.
His allies were on the spot for politicking in the middle of a pandemic, while Ruto embarked on a hustler’s campaign to secure the votes of the ‘hustling Kenyans’.
The claims have been severally been disputed, with Ruto beckoning his boss to focus on the pandemic. “But who is Raila!… BBI will fix everything.”
UhuRaila Pact
On the other hand, Raila Odinga found a soft spot at the President’s side, seemingly replacing his deputy in key tours around the country.
The new found relationship christened the ‘Corona coalition’ that has seen the opposing political party unite forces with the President’s side of the Jubilee party in key political races.
Msambweni however, landed in the safe hands of the deputy, who seeks to employ the same strategy to win the Nairobi gubernatorial seat, as well as the Matungu ward by-election.
The escalating political tension between the two factions are set to boil harder in 2021 in preparation for the general elections, a year later.
On a positive note, however, campaigns have been generally peaceful, unlike previous years where supporters would clash.
