- The two have been frequently meeting amid reports that Ruto is keen on handing running mate position to Oparanya
- Political pundits say the DP feels fully assured of Mt Kenya support and is focused on gaining support elsewhere
- Political analyst Herman Manyora says getting a partner from Western at Mt Kenya’s expense will be suicidal for Ruto
- He says the DP needs Mt Kenya more than he needs any other region, and a slight miscalculation will prove costly
Oparanya has declared interest in the presidency, but it’s unlikely he will land a running mate slot in Raila Odinga’s camp.
The political bromance between Deputy President William Ruto and Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya has grown immensely over the past few years, signifying their intention to work together ahead of the 2022 General election.
A series of political meetings, both public and private, have been held between the two as they seek to strengthen their ties, a development that could leave Mt Kenya region clinging onto the short end of the stick in Ruto’s gameplan.
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In April this year, Ruto and Oparanya hit the headlines after they held a nine-hour meeting at the DP’s farm in Kilgoris, Narok County.
So long was the meeting, which was attended by former Cabinet secretaries Mwangi Kiunjuri and Rashid Echesa, that the leaders were forced to spend the night at the Masai Mara Game Reserve.
This was not the first time the two were meeting; they had held several other secret meetings before to discuss “matters of national importance” and 2022 politics.
Ruto, who later addressed the speculation surrounding their meeting, confirmed he had previously met Oparanya more than five times, adding they were still in talks over possible political cooperation.
“I have met him (Oparanya) to discuss politics five times. At no time did we discuss him being sent by (Raila) Odinga.
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We have discussed with him how we can work together and how he appreciates the hustler narrative and the Bottom-Up approach,” he said during a TV interview.Oparanya - the ODM deputy leader and a perceived Raila Odinga loyalist - confirmed as much, stating that he was open to working with Ruto.
After yet another meeting last week, it has now emerged the DP is courting the Kakamega governor to be his running mate, a move that would effectively push the restless Mt Kenya region away off the centre of power in Ruto’s camp.
Keen political observers state that Oparanya has lately been very measured when criticizing anything that touches on the DP. In some cases, he has openly supported a position taken by Ruto.
In March 2021, he left tongues wagging when he made a U-turn and opposed the push for the BBI referendum, arguing the country was facing more serious challenges that should be given priority.
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On the other hand, Ruto’s close allies hold the Kakamega governor in high regard and are hardly critical of him. On the contrary, most speak highly of him and laud his performance and leadership as a governor.
Oparanya is among second-term governors who have declared interest in the presidency. He has an impressive track record as governor and has been ranked among top performers ever since he was first elected in 2013.
With vast experience in finance management and planning, Oparanya has risen through the ranks to hold powerful positions such as the Minister for Planning in former president Mwai Kibaki’s government.
He’s also the immediate former chairman of the Council of Governors, a powerful position that kept him close to President Uhuru Kenyatta.
“Oparanya is looking for a bigger thing in 2022 and if the deputy president slot is given to him, why not take it? Chances are he might not get that slot in ODM because of other dynamics like region balance and forth,” says political analyst Amukowa Anangwe.
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His vast experience and excellent track record have enticed Ruto to court him to join his camp as the preferred running mate. Word has it that a scheme has already been hatched for Oparanya to exit ODM and join Ruto’s Hustler nation.
The ODM presidential nomination is one of the avenues that Oparanya is reportedly planning to use to ditch the Orange party and team up with Ruto.
“I can tell you confidently that Oparanya will soon be part of us because we have been meeting and discussing these things for a while now, it’s a matter of time,” Soy MP Caleb Kositany, a close ally of Ruto, revealed.Political pundits opine that the DP currently feels assured of Mt Kenya support and is focusing on spreading his tentacles to other parts of the country, with Western Kenya being one of the major targets.
There is a feeling that Ruto has been trying to win over Kikuyus by posing as the Mt Kenya savior in an attempt to ‘look like one of them’ and, just as is the case with his Rift Valley, eliminate the need to pick a running mate there.
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The DP knows that he needs to bag maximum votes in Mt Kenya and the Western region to bolster his chances of succeeding Uhuru in 2022, hence the reason he has been dangling the running mate slot while hiding a big stick behind his back, waiting to sacrifice one region.
Mt Kenya appears to have blinked fast and received the stroke. Voters, and the region’s leaders, easily fell for Ruto’s many political promises and rallied behind his presidential bid without interrogating.
On the other hand, the Western region proved complicated thanks to the presence of formidable leaders like Musalia Mudavadi and Moses Wetang’ula, who are equally eyeing the top seat.
The situation has now forced the DP to consider picking a running mate from Mulembe nation to balance his numbers.
Political analysts argue that Ruto’s move to court Oparanya to deputise him is a plot to divide the Western voting bloc and disenfranchise his competitors as he hopes to score maximumly in Mt Kenya.
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“Nothing is impossible in politics. He (Ruto) can get a running mate from Western but he will definitely lose the support of Mt Kenya region and that will be suicidal. Ruto needs Mt Kenya region more than he needs the support of any other region, a slight miscalculation will cost him dearly,” warned political analyst Herman Manyora.After four years of dangling the running mate slot to the vote-rich region, Ruto has abandoned the course and embarked on a deceitful mission to work with Oparanya as his preferred running mate.
Mt Kenya is on the verge of being short-changed in Ruto’s 2022 political matrix and will have nothing to write home about.
This will be one of the greatest forms of betrayal meted out on loyal supporters before polls.
It’s about time Mt Kenya voters realized the shocker that the Tanga Tanga group is plotting to pull on them in 2022 and make the right decision.
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With close over six million votes, Mt Kenya deserves nothing short of a deputy president slot, a position that Ruto’s camp is unwilling to offer.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
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