Saturday, June 8th 2013, By Jacob Ng’etichNAIROBI, KENYA: In an interview with Deputy President William Ruto one evening in October 2010 he gave a hint of his view and driving force in politics: “As a self-made politician, the one thing I must seriously have is a political game plan, because if I don’t have one, I will be forced to play other people’s games, and when you do so then, you have no control of the game,” Ruto said.
And those who have keenly watched his rise in politics notice
that he works his way to the position where he is able to be in control.
As
he now sits in the second most powerful office in the land, Ruto
attributes his political success to his resilience, strong spirit,
acumen and belief in God.Call it meteoric or gradual rise, Ruto’s political star is shining bright and political analysts, friends and foes agree that the 47-year-old son of a peasant has earned his way up through sheer hard work, unwavering focus and that he has been a go-getter.
Re-engineer the game
When he was later sacked as the Minister of Higher Education at the height of his falling out with the former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, the Deputy President said he had enough time on his hands to ‘re-engineer the game’.
And indeed the game was re-engineered when he led the Jubilee Coalition to victory, and though while giving the first speech at the Catholic University of East Africa moments after Jubilee Coalition was declared the winner of the March 4 presidential race, the Deputy President declared the victory a miracle, many of those he campaigned with do not think so.
A former MP from Kiambu County noted that it was not a miracle but a piece of hard work and scheming, thanks to the political wit, charm and unending energy of the charismatic former MP for Eldoret North.
“There were no miracles in the Jubilee Coalition victory, we worked tirelessly to ensure victory and William Samoei Ruto was the architect and engine behind the success in the campaigns, he worked hard and smart...many of us in the team admired his energy and political scheming and it gave us morale,” said the former MP.
According to Dismas Mokua, a political analyst and the Vice President of Sadiki East Africa political consultancy, Ruto has anchored his strategy to influence several major political decision made in Kenya since he joined politics.
“His fingerprints are visible in most big political decisions taken by three-presidents he has worked with including former Presidents Daniel Moi, to a lesser extent Mwai Kibaki and now Uhuru Kenyatta,” said Mr Mokua.
“The DP was key to the Moi re-election in 1992 when the first multi party elections threatened to remove the ‘Professor of Politics’ from State House, and in the 2007 General Election helped former Prime Minister Raila Odinga run a neck-to-neck race with Kibaki,” he added.
According to Kisumu Town East MP, Shakeel Shabbir, Ruto is a dynamic and very ambitious politician who has been able to wade positively through his political challenges to be where he is deservedly.
“As a politician and a leader, he is very ruthless in his
quest, he is a person who you would rather have as a friend than an
enemy, his desire for the better things has little comparison,” said
Shabbir, a fact that the Igembe South MP Mithika Linturi agreed with.
“When
it comes to achieving what he wants nobody can stand on his way and if
you do, atapita na wewe (he will mow you down), he is like a very good
darts player. He aims at the bull’s eye and directs all his energy at
hitting the target, he calls a spade a spade not a big spoon, a typical
leader for this era,” said Mr Linturi.Nithi MP Kareke Mbiuki said he remembered in one of the meetings in Aldai during the campaigns when President Uhuru was being sympathetic to former Aldai legislator Dr Sally Kosgey and when Ruto stood he was very categorical and true to his nature.
“Kenyatta was fence sitting on the issue, but Ruto put it in black and white that he wanted nothing else but a United Republican Party candidate in the constituency, he does not sit in the middle, he makes his stand clear at the earliest opportunity, unlike most of us politicians who want to please all,” said Mr Mbiuki.
Analysts have linked Ruto’s political modus operandi to that of his mentor Moi.
Machiavelli politics
Mokua said Ruto is a good student of Machiavelli politics and that he has previously manipulated his political target to benefit himself.
“One very strong advantage that the DP has is a solid understanding of Kenya’s political system and knows how to relate with voters and leaders, and more importantly he knows how to appeal to their self interest,” said Mokua.
He said the politician-cum-businessman has a magnetic presence with crowds because he knows how to connect with various political stakeholders at different levels.
Mengech Rono, a Lessos Member of County Assembly candidate in the last elections noted that one day after a series of meetings in Kericho and Nandi, Ruto ran into a hostile crowd, but when he came out to address them, the crowd begun to chant and cheer him on.
It has been argued that Ruto, the politician borrowed a lot from Moi and the recent years from his ally-turned-political enemy Raila the two influential politicians in Kenyan politics.
Prof Macharia Munene, a lecturer of History and International Relations at the United States International University says the Ruto has borrowed a lot of his political acumen from Moi and the enthusiasm in handling issues in politics.
“Delegations to his Sugoi farm and visitors to his offices in Nairobi know him as a generous man and hardly do supporters go home empty handed. It reminds many of those of the Moi era,” says Mr Kibet.
Last month, the Deputy President attended a football derby between AFC Leopards and Gor Mahia and after the match he gave the two teams captains Sh500,000 each.
There are critics who have likened him to the Bible story of Delila, and that he is known to benefit from the secrets of others only to disarm and outsmart them.
In 2007, Ruto broke ranks with Moi and went ahead to wrest the support of the Kalenjins from the former President, something that Moi had enjoyed for close to four decades, having been the most senior member of the community.
“Having worked with Moi for a decade and knowing his influence, it only needed a daredevil to attempt that because it could have backfired on him and he would have been very humiliated,” said Moses Lesonet, Eldama Ravine MP.
His little dalliance with Raila was a boon to him because it enabled him galvanise the Kalenjin vote that he delivered to the former Prime Minister during the hotly contested 2007 presidential election.
Push harder
After the formation of the Government of National Unity, the restless Ruto felt that Raila did not push harder for a better power sharing deal. With that, according to one of his close allies Caleb Kositany, Ruto noted the weakness of his party leader.
Mokua says Ruto picked the tactics of mobilsation from Moi and the strategies of campaigns from Raila.
“Because of having seen the best and the worst of Kenyan body politik, he has been prepared for great things,” said Mokua.
Going by the way he worked with the late Reuben Chesire whom as
his Kanu Vice Chairman for Eldoret North sub-branch before he trounced
him in the 1997 General Election to become the MP, his experience with
Moi and later Raila and how he wrestled power from them, political
pundits will be asking if h
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