BY THOMAS KARIUKI.
NT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF.
The Uhuru- Raila handshake was meant to unite Kenyans and end incessant politicking. Following the now touted unity handshake, the two have gone ahead to publicly display affection, embracing and calling each other brother for the cameras or if you may like, it is a public relation exercise.
Following the handshake, the duo has gone ahead to ask for forgiveness and lift bans on products. I want to remind the DP about the monkeys’ tactics being the same but the forest has changed. As a politician DP Ruto must not allow one monkey-Raila Odinga- hoodwink him to believe he is now a changed, transformed, and born-again and holy-ghost filled monkey. Has the handshake united Kenyans or ended politicking?
I wish to remind the DP Ruto who Raila is but which Raila has already told him. It could be he was not listening but Kenyans were. Ruto was just a mere Member of Parliament from the Rift-Valley just like his fellow backyard MPs. Raila said that he made Ruto who he is which is true. Raila gave Ruto a national platform to sell Raila power agenda in the 2007 campaigns. This was the breakeven point. Moi did not make him, if he did the likes of the late Nicolas Biwott and Mark Too among other politicians would not be magnates from the rift valley. So, Raila made Ruto, full stop.
If Raila made Ruto, what does he know about Ruto that Ruto doesn’t know about himself? I believe Raila knows very well, DP Ruto’s weakness and is playing this card to dislodge Ruto. Ruto is the kind of politician who would not want anyone to play with his achievement. His achievement therefore is making the Jubilee party, bringing his tribesmen and Uhuru’s tribesmen together, making the party strong and them agreeing to back each-others’ bid in elections. What will happens if Ruto feels disenfranchised by Uhuru?
Your guess is as good as mine. He will leave the Jubilee party and create a new vehicle that will ascend him to power. This is the wrong move. Breaking JP will make Ruto loose a very huge constituent and people who would back his 2022 presidential bid will look for another person who can represent their interests. Allow me to tell you who Raila is, Raila is a political enigma, he is old and experienced in politics. A saying goes, a man seated on a footstool can see far than a boy on a tree. He will galvanize the whole country where his interests will be met.
So, DP Ruto must now make it impossible for Raila to jeopardize his 2022 political ascension. It is said that on the day of death for a monkey, all trees become slippery. Ruto must make all trees slippery for any of the monkeys. He must not play to Raila’s tune, drumbeat, dance or style. According to law 33 of the 48 Laws of Power, Raila has discovered DP Ruto’s thumbscrew and is using it for his own benefit. But DP Ruto can control the options that Raila has and make him play the cards Ruto want him to.
This is my just opinion; you can take it, work or re-work it, apply it or just ignore or rubbish it.
