Why campaign against DP Ruto's 2022 presidency will be futile

The decision by some leaders in Mt Kenya region to incite voters against supporting Deputy President William Ruto's plan to succeed President Uhuru Kenyatta come 2022 will not yield fruit. It has become evident that the crusade is being spearheaded by leaders who were not elected in the August 8 elections and who now claim that Ruto is to blame for their loss.

Apart from Nyeri Town MP Ngunjiri Wambugu, who has come out openly to say Central Kenya's support for Ruto in 2022 is not guaranteed, the rest who are singing that tune are those who believe the Deputy President is partly to blame for their failure to capture or recapture their seats. Mr. Wambugu’s stance on Ruto is not new because he has always been opposed to the DP if what he has been doing from the time he was an activist is anything to go by.

However, what these leaders are forgetting is the fact that it is the voters who will make a decision on who to elect as president when Uhuru’s term ends. If there is a time in the history of this country that the people of Mt Kenya region will vote for someone from outside the region, it will be in 2022, when Ruto will contest the top seat.

The region knows very well that it is because of Ruto that Uhuru was able to rule this country from 2013 to date. Uhuru is in power today courtesy of efforts by the Deputy President, who convinced the Rift Valley to support him.

Anybody who thinks that the people of Central Kenya cannot support someone from outside the region will be in for a rude shock come 2022. Besides, the DP does not need endorsement from anybody in Central Kenya. He has personally interacted with the people at the grassroots to win their support.

Mr. Ruto has done a lot for the people of the Central region in the last five-year term, personally conducting fundraisers in the area and initiating various development projects. It should be clear that voters in Mt Kenya always support leaders who are committed to service delivery, like the Deputy President.