Ruto's political prowess under scrutiny amid youth uprising

President William Ruto displays a sword of power handed over to him by outgoing President Uhuru Kenyatta after swearing in at Kasarani stadium on September 13, 2022. [Denish Ochieng, Standard]

In the past, President William Ruto has put up a picture of a politically astute and consummate politician that political pundits believed was becoming a doyen of Kenyan politics.

With his euphoric victory in August 2022, President Ruto's political star has for 27 years been on a meteoric rise, shining bright, and an envy of both old and young politicians.

Elected as Eldoret North MP at 29, after beating the rich and more experienced former area legislator Reuben Cheshire, the president has never looked back with stellar results in any election.

In 2002 and 2007 he emerged as the country's member of parliament elected on the highest score of over 70% of the vote cast.

His August 2022 presidential victory was historic, no other presidential candidate had won the presidency on the first attempt, his predecessor Uhuru Kenyatta, attempted in 2002 and in 2007 supported Kibaki, before winning in 2013, while the late Mwai Kibaki made two attempts in 1992 and 1997 and won in 2002.

In Kenya's history, President Ruto was the first politician to politically crack, and hack the Mount Kenya political hegemony, equally decimating the tradition that the region does not vote for any candidate outside central Kenya.

In the 2022 elections, the region revolted against their kingpin Uhuru Kenyatta who was supporting Azimio leader Raila Odinga and instead voted Ruto to a man.

In his win, President Ruto nearly extinguished politics of voting along tribal lines when he got votes from Kenya's eight regions giving his victory a national endorsement.

However, events of the last month have positioned the president as a politician who may have lost his political equilibrium and now looking for balance in the wake of a youth uprising.

Gen Z protests across the country have exposed President Ruto’s vulnerabilities forcing him to reach out for reinforcement from the opposition to help him regain his lost political composure and steady his presidency.

The one-million-dollar question is, what happened to Ruto the consummate politico blessed with the gift of the gab who has not lost in a political duel?

According to political analyst Dismas Mokua, managing a State requires high levels of capacity and competence in statecraft and maintaining political, economic and security were key pillars.

To Mokua, President Ruto has managed to ensure Kenya’s political, economic and security stability despite facing turbulence occasioned by Gen Z-triggered protests.

“There is no evidence to suggest that President Ruto has lost his balance. President Ruto is managing expectations of citizens, partners and stakeholders’ expectations consistent with Kenya's national and public interests.

As Kenyans walk into a new week there is uncertainty after the country's youngest adults viciously dismissed the president's half cabinet terming it a case of recycling unwanted politicians

On Tuesday, youths vowed, they will hold another in the series of demonstrations that have become weekly nationwide.

Paradoxically, his historic and euphoric presidential victory over 20 months ago has turned into a poisoned chalice to his political life.

For a month, what began as an uprising against Finance Bill 2024 has snowballed into demonstrations that have in DNA the bottom line of the removal of President Ruto.

Despite Ruto ceding ground including rejecting the Finance Bill, dismissing his Cabinet and promising sweeping changes in government, the public ire against the president continues.

For a moment, just like the giraffes that were marooned at an island in Lake Baringo when the water levels rose and had to be rescued since their lives were threatened three years ago, the president is seeking extrication from the political rigmarole

Seeming to catch political straws, the Head of State and his allies have accused several people and reasons for the public anger.

The demonstrations have been done countrywide including major ones in Nairobi, Mombasa, Nakuru, Eldoret, Kisumu, Kakamega, Nyeri and other towns signaling the widespread political anger.

Whereas some of his allies have accused the former President Kenyatta and his deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, his government spokesman Isaac Mwaura blamed the Russian government while recently addressing residents in Nakuru pointed fingers at the United States (US) Ford Foundation.

During the campaigns, Ruto the Deputy President had an elaborate campaign that seemed to seek to capture the Kenyan aspiration.

Before the elections, Ruto went across all the 47 counties seeking their views and eventually signed county charters with all the devolved units that captured the needs of the residents.

Later, together with his campaign team, he used the charters to build what they called The Plan as his manifesto.

With conclusive public participation on the Kenyan's aspirations, Ruto's assignment was already cut out.

Missing the point

Where did William Ruto falter? Where did the rain start beating the Head of State?

While addressing the media in Mombasa last month, Gachagua wondered what happened to their government with Ruto.

"What have we done that we were well-received after our victory but we have become so unpopular in just 20 months," said Gachagua.

He accused National Intelligence Service Director General Noordin Hajji of not briefing the President on the public mood in the country.

But not in Kenya, the political wings of William Samoei Ruto were growing in leaps and bounds.

In 20 months the President had built a larger-than-life aura in the continent that was easily turning him to the verge of being an African Diplomat.

In cities across the globe, Ruto had been welcomed with so much respect and admiration from Washington to Tokyo, and from Geneva to London Johannesburg.

The culmination of his triumphant international credentials is his May visit to the US on the invitation of President Joe Biden.

The incessant Gen Z demonstrations and the police killings of the protestors have elicited global interest.

Today, the President's image gained locally and internationally are on the verge of going up in flames.

In managing expectations, said Mokua, President Ruto has to seek and secure support from citizens, stakeholders and politicians with heavy political capital.

“Engaging citizens, stakeholders and politicians does not in any way suggest a leader who has lost balance but points to his capacity to respond to public pressure, accommodate divergent views and engage in cross pollination of ideas with the sole intention of ensuring Kenya’s going concern status,” said Mokua.

Any visionary and agile leader Mokua observed, must respond to environmental changes and stay alive to citizens' interests as captured by the public mood, maintain capacity to take painful and unpopular decisions besides engaging in regular policy reviews to keep the State running.

But again what happened to William Ruto?