President Ruto Does Not Need Gachagua

Not in the print version but will be in the online version:

National resources or benefits cannot be divvied up or denied to anyone because of who they voted for or did not vote for.

Yes, that is easier said than done, but it cannot be a policy that it is done the other way to the detriment of millions whose sin is voting for their preferred candidate, a right guaranteed in our constitution.

Wise counsel which Ruto seems to be heeding is to aggressively reach out to those areas where he is not popular and make inroads there with the wind of incumbency behind him.

This, of course, must go hand and glove with reducing the cost of living for everyone and getting the country going in the right direction both economically and politically.

Doing so, namely, reaching out and making sure everyone is served by the government notwithstanding how they voted will likely cost him support in other areas such as those where people feel entitled but in the long run, this will be better for Ruto, and better for the country.

That is the moral and constitutional obligation Ruto has and must deliver.

 

Is Ruto Keeping His Campaign Promises?

The answer is, of course, NO.

Here’s what’s not in the piece but will be in the online version:

The initial quiet grumblings heard in certain quarters of the president’s strongholds are now more open expressions of disillusionment or disgust. This cannot bode well for the president so the time to do something about it is now.

The recent cabinet reshuffle was a step in the right direction, but it was not enough.

The president needs to take immediate, bold, impactful action to shake things up and there couldn’t be a lower-hanging fruit to pick in that sense than going after cartels and those well-known hoarding stolen public money.

That money—or at least much of it can and should be recovered and used to subsidize various commodities to make life more affordable for the masses who are now suffering with no relief in sight.

The president must also immediately cut wasteful government spending to the same effect. There are many enjoying life on the government dime traveling all over the place and outside the country when the value of such travels is nil.

This unnecessary travel must be ended —but there is more the president can do to avoid the risk of being a one-term president.

 

Is a Fallout Between Ruto and Gachagua in the Offing?

Missing in the printed version but will be in the online version:

That was a historic speech [Ruto’s Migori speech] because when it’s all said and done, it will mark the beginning of not just the falling out between Ruto and Gachagua, but, even more importantly, when Ruto craftily put into motion a plan that would assure him reelection in 2027 without anyone heavily breathing over his neck.

How so? Why is this speech the beginning of a falling out between Ruto and Gachagua? Because it marked the first time what Gachagua has been saying about shareholding has been contradicted and, in fact, dismissed by the president.

That’s a biggie and both sentiments can’t coexist. This means Gachagua either abandons his hard stance on this and starts singing and dancing to the president’s tune and music or let him dust off Ruto’s VP playbook at the Karen residence from 2017 and try and see if he can replicate obviously under vastly different circumstances.

It’s doubtful he can succeed.

Ruto need not do much about this than to stay on course. It’s Gachagua who has the burden of proving he has the proverbial bigger balls as Ruto did in the lead-up to 2022 and proved he did.

 

Will the Ruto-Raila Handshake Become an Open Secret in Turkana as of Tomorrow?

President William Ruto and Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition leader Raila Odinga are both in Lodwar, Turkana County this week for the Turkana cultural festival dubbed Tobong’u Lore.

President Ruto attended the fanfare today while Odinga is expected to grace the event on Friday.

This is not a mere coincidence.

Rather, in my view, it is a carefully planned and choreographed plot to make the rumoured handshake between Ruto and Raila either openly confirmed or henceforth making it an open secret—until one day when the two will, in fact, publicly embrace and shake hands—yes, have the proverbial handshake.

In my column for this weekend which I submitted yesterday, I make the case there is already a fall-out between Ruto and his deputy.

A statement from ODM Party’s director of communications Philip Etale said Odinga is expected to give a keynote address Tobong’u Lore event in Turkana focusing on devolution, its benefits, and why devolution should be boosted for more development in the devolved units.

Note what is missing in that speech highlight: maandamano, wizi wa kura na kadhalika.

The annual festival, now in its seventh year, kicks off on Thursday to showcase the culture of the Turkana people and depict Turkana as the cradle of mankind.

Odinga opened the first Tobong’u Lore in 2014.

That this has been chosen to let the cat out is just fascinating.

Stay tuned.

 

A Eulogy for Chapter Six

Missing in the print version but will be in the online version:

This must come to an end, and it starts with the president rolling up his sleeves and taking head on this vice that has crippled and continues to cripple the country.

The president can do this by at least having Parliament enact legislation that grants the EACC and other agencies prosecutorial powers apart from the ODPP. It won’t be an easy task for the president because it is believed one of the reasons this has not happened already is it’s not in the politicians’ interests to have such expanded prosecution powers.

However, to win the fight against corruption and other economic crimes in Kenya, those suspected of corruption must be brought to trial and if convicted, sent to jail besides disgorging their ill-gained wealth.

This practice of arresting the suspects of economic crimes and never hearing about their cases again must end.

It is known that there are people with easily provable corruption cases, but they are roaming around with impunity because they know they can use the same ill-gotten money to bribe their way out of everything, including acquittal should anyone dare prosecute them.

Unless this culture of corruption is ended, Kenyans will continue to suffer notwithstanding how the economy performs. It is not enough to just keep talking tough about fighting corruption, let the president do something about it finally.