William Ruto strikes again!

 

President William Ruto (photo Courtesy)

He is not your average politician. This is a man who plans five steps ahead of his opponents and executes his plans with utmost precision.

William Ruto is now the fifth president of the Republic of Kenya. Through sheer hardwork and political machinations, he is at the top of his game today.

Four months after he took the oath of office, the president has turned his eyes on the 2027 polls where he will be seeking to defend his political seat. He is now consolidating power through his United Democratic Alliance party (UDA) a vehicle he used to clinch the presidency against his arch rival Raila Odinga who was vying under the Azimio La Umoja Kenya Alliance. 

Political Party Mergers 

A hot topic for any leader to handle. Jubilee party was birthed after a host of parties folded up to form the giant party. Among them was, The National Alliance party (TNA) and United Republican Party (URP) which had propelled the two into Statehouse.

William Ruto is seeking a repeat of the same tactic through his UDA party. This time, he will be swallowing top parties of his allies whom he has appointed to various positions in the cabinet.

When naming his cabinet, Ruto created the Prime Cabinet Secretary position and named Musalia Mudavadi as the leader in charge of the docket. This is a powerful seat which some allies of the Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua have felt uncomfortable with.

President Ruto also named other party leaders including Moses Kuria of Chama Cha Kazi (CCK) CS Trade, Dr. Alfred Mutua of Maendeleo ChapChap CS Foreign Affairs, Moses Wetangula of Ford Kenya landed the Speaker of National Assembly, Amason Kingi of Pamoja African Alliance landed the Senate speaker.

In an interesting turn of events, Cleophas Malala who ran for the Kakamega Governor seat in 2022 on an ANC ticket, was named the Secretary General of the ruling party UDA. Malala is a close ally of prime CS Musalia Mudavadi.

Malala doned in an ANC party attire with the president at a campaign event

Malala is the one charged with spearheading the merger of political parties, a daunting task if one may ask. 

Mr. Malala while in Kisumu yesterday warned cabinet secretaries to fold their parties or quit government.

“You have no business being a Cabinet Secretary if you are still holding onto your party,” said Mr Malala.

William Ruto the master

This is pure politics, the message by the new UDA SG Cleo Malala is William Ruto’s and he has already sent a warning to the party bosses in cabinet. He is back to collect from those he rewarded. This can only mean that he had planned this way ahead, when he nominated the part honchos into his cabinet.

Already, the message has been delivered and the parties are not happy. Issa Timamy who now leads ANC after Mudavadi relinquished his position, has termed the merger of political parties as an impossibility stating that ANC is not interested in folding its party to join UDA.

"They are dreaming," he was quoted saying.

Moses Kuria's Chama Cha Kazi has started the merger process. Wetangula's Ford Kenya has expressed reservations about folding.

It is obvious that the parties will have to fold, there's no way the bosses will still remain in cabinet while their parties keep on resisting advances by UDA.