- Eugene Wamalwa said Deputy President William Ruto's position did not grant him automatic succession of President Uhuru Kenyatta
- He said only one out of 10 Kenyan vice presidents automatically succeeded the president
- Retired President Daniel Moi succeeded founding President Jomo Kenyatta after his death in 1978
- Wamalwa said Luhya community which had produced three vice presidents in recent years had equal opportunity of producing country's next president
Devolution and Planning Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa has poured cold water on Deputy President William Ruto's 2022 bid for presidency said he will not automatically succeed President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Wamalwa, whose New FORD Kenya party folded to merge with Jubilee ruling coalition, said it was difficult for the deputy president to immediately succeed Uhuru when his tenure ends in 2022.
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Speaking during the launch of Western Jurists Sacco, Wamalwa said Luhya leaders had an equal chance of producing Kenya's next president.
He observed retired president Daniel Moi was the only vice president of Kenya who succeeded the president following the demise of Mzee Jomo Kenyatta.
The CS opined that if being second in command was a direct ticket for presidency, the Luhya community could have produced more than three presidents.
"We produced three vice presidents in succession but never produced the Head of State. Thrice we came close to the top seat but never got it. Therefore, being second in command doesn't mean someone will become the next president," he said.
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The Luhya community produced Kenya's seventh vice president Musalia Mudavadi followed by the late Michael Wamalwa Kijana and the ninth VP Moody Awori.
"I want to borrow words of Kenya's tenth vice president Kalonzo Musyoka who observed we were lucky to thrice come close to getting to the country's top seat. We should now not despair and think the remaining pinnacle is not achievable," he added.The CS said lack of economic power was Western Kenya's undoing in the quest for presidency.
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