Politics cannot get more dreary than this.
Elected leaders owe their seats and re-election to their development records and how they relate with their constituents and not how hoarse he praises a tin god.
This perception though was also widespread among Rift Valley MPs of the last parliament. Many of whom were to learn it the hard way.
To start with, the particular MP who gave me the spurrious argument defeated someone who was hanging unto William Ruto's coat tails in the last parliament but was whitewashed hands down.
The benefit of hindsight alone put paid to this fallacious political thought.
Not all those who were anti-Ruto in 2007 failed to make it to parliament. I am talking of individuals who embraced Raila Odinga's candidacy as William Ruto was fantasizing with running for the presidency himself while at the same time shilly-shallying between Kalonzo and making night visits to state house.
The late Kipkalya Kones, late Lorna Laboso, Sally Kosgey and Henry Kosgey openly defied the William Ruto bogey and campaigned for Raila Odinga in all the nooks and crannies of Rift Valley without as much as hurting their elective chances in any way. At the same period, William Ruto was tagging a coterie of sitting MPs to rallies across the hamlets of Kalenjin land including the constituencies of 'rebel' MPs and aspirants.
On this side of the dichotomy were the likes of Joseph Lagat of Eldoret East, Dr Sam Ruto of Kipkelion, Musa Sirma of Ravine and many others who were never to taste re-election yet they supported William Ruto even in their dreams.
Still, there is the 'others' category who were re-elected back to parliament either as lone-rangers or riding in very unpopular party. Linnah Kilimo, Abongotum Kamama, Samuel Phoghisio made it back to the 10th parliament not only in unwanted parties but without the slightest of allegiance to William Ruto whatsoever.
Lucas Chepkittony too made it back in Keiyo North by balancing between Raila and Ruto and being independent on the other hand.
William Ruto influence was a no-show in other parts of non-Kalenjin parts of Rift Valley Province. Maasai and Samburu were purely a Raila affair while Turkana was a mixed grill and a salad. The Gikuyu community in the Rift Valley diaspora was uncompromisingly PNU.
It instructive to note that the Raila wave that swept away the Kalenjins was independent of William Ruto. The people made William Ruto abandon his daydreams and experiments and embrace Raila because he was left alone in the cold. He was johny-come-lately and reluctant and reluctant at that.
Patronage and demagougery is definitely gone with the one party autocracy. Politicians who still believe in it are just nostalgic or having a bad hangover.
Even in the patron-ridden Luo Nyanza politics, there is some air of freedom emanating from Lake Victoria. Raila Odinga is finding it hard to go againt the wishes of the people. He doesn't endorse his preferred candidates anymore nor does he campaign for them openly.
Though he overturned the defeat of Anyang Nyong'o and Otieono Kajwang in the party primaries, William Ruto did not have the same powers in the party and neither does he now.
Another salient phenomenon of the last general election is that most of the candidates who won the ODM tickets in Rift Valley were hitherto unknown faceless characters. They could not secure a minute long appointment with William Ruto until they secured the party ticket.
The electorate just happen to know whom they want to represent them in parliament. This knowledge is least informed by whether one sucks up to William Ruto or not. In my view, it better remain that way or else we will have leaders whose record in office is the number of William Ruto's rally they attended, how hard they clapped and how clean they licked his boots.
William Ruto's electoral influence now is but fictional farce!
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The hype was introduced by the media after 2007 Elections and hyped even more during and after post election violence.
ReplyDeleteHowever it seems to have worked for Rutto by producing more influence where there was little.
it is all a sham...hes got no real influence has to determine who comes to parliament and who doessnt
ReplyDelete