William Ruto's path to power and the drifting Rift

NAIROBI: Rift Valley is boiling and it is not unexpected. Let us go back to May last year, when we argued in this space that the very thing that made Deputy President William Ruto the kingpin of Rift Valley politics after former President Moi's retirement and defeat of his preferred successor, Uhuru Kenyatta in 2002, was what could easily bring him down.

The point then was that while an Uhuru Presidency still seemed a far-fetched dream in 2002, Mr Ruto, like most Kalenjins, believed in him, and gave it his all, especially perched as he was on that lofty part of the tree of power labelled Kanu's Director of Elections.