So President Uhuru and DP Ruto are enemies? Tell me another lie

Deputy President William Ruto chats with President Uhuru Kenyatta, August 2014. [PSCU]

One message that every Kenyan should get ahead of 2022 is that President Uhuru, Raila Odinga and William Ruto are a family.

Every time elections are near, we quickly forget that politics is a dirty game. Politicians are like Greek Gods—they dine together at night and act enemies before us during the day. Let me explain how they work.

In Prometheus Bound, one of the Ancient Greek tragedies by Aeschylus, we particularly meet two political gods— Zeus and Prometheus. Zeus, the leader of the gods, banned other gods from giving humans fire. He argued that fire would make humans be in equal standing with the gods, and thus gods’ glory in the eyes of man would be lost.

However, Prometheus, a craftsman and creator of mortals, pitied humans. So he stole fire from the gods against Zeus edict and gave it to humans to create civilisation.

As a result, Prometheus received one of the most severe punishments in Greek mythologies from Zeus for breaking the protocol and empowering human beings. That’s how politics work.

The politicians are gods, and they guard their power territories jealously—sometimes it means feigning enmity or coming together for their interests.

DP William Ruto and President Uhuru Kenyatta at State House, Nairobi, 2015. [Tabitha Otwori, Standard]

It is for this reason that William Lacy Clay, a renowned American politician and Congressman from Missouri, wrote in his book Just Permanent Interests: Black Americans in Congress, 1870-1991, described politics as some game, asserting that, “There are no permanent enemies, and no permanent friends, only permanent interests.”

For those keen on Kenyan politics, we have seen politicians yell at each other today, and tomorrow they shake hands and move on for their own interests, leaving us dumbfounded after we fought for them in the streets.

But, of course, the reason why their handshakes calm us is that they are the genesis of our fights. They control us so that whoever they hate, we hate, and whoever they love, we love. Their drama is, however, our reality, and that’s where their bread is buttered.

Let’s start with Raila Odinga, now Uhuru Kenyatta’s buddy; he’s been Uhuru’s political nemesis since 2002. William Ruto, who is presented today as the arch-enemy of Uhuru, has claimed to have supported Uhuru in 2002, 2013 and 2017. In 2007, Ruto supported Raila.

Kalonzo Musyoka’s mission in the 2007 elections was mainly to frustrate Raila’s ambitions because Raila supposedly betrayed him. However, after Kalonzo was ranked first by several of the then Steadman opinion polls ahead of the 2007 elections, he relaxed and settled down with Raila and other pentagon members.

Regardless of this history, in 2013 and 2017, Kalonzo deputised Raila with all his heart under CORD and NASA, respectively.

President Uhuru Kenyatta (left) with DP William Ruto during the 18th Annual National Prayer Breakfast. [Elvis Ogina, Standard]

So Ruto and Uhuru are enemies? If so, how deep? In September 2017, Muhoho Kenyatta’s 24-second speech in Nandi was under the tutelage of Ruto. Then he was again stopped at Kaptumo market, where he attempted a 27-second speech freestyle. It was a practical political mic-check on Uhuru’s son. So, what if Ruto is Muhoho’s political Godfather?

Moses Kuria, the Ruto Central point man, has said he won’t contest for Gatundu South MP in 2022. Kuria is not only Uhuru’s MP but also his political proselyte. What if he is stepping down for Muhoho Kenyatta? I’m just thinking loudly.

The questions are: In 2007, Ruto told Kalenjins that the best person who could transform this country was Raila. When did that change? Kalonzo in 2007 told Kamba’s that Raila is the worst traitor of our times, but in 2013 and 2017, Raila was a Moses taking us to Canaan. When did that change?

Uhuru told us that Raila is a person without a vision for Kenya in 2013 and toward 2017. When did he become now the messiah? I’m just using Raila as a constant factor here. You can switch names. Politicians fight for their interests, and when their interests are not met, they tag us along. We should not be drawn to the war of gods.