Ruto To Pick Kiunjuri As DP For 2022

Ruto’s team believes Mt Kenya will back Ruto’s State House race to the last man and woman. The DP has said he will run for President on the United Democratic Party after being shoved out of the ruling Jubilee Party. It emerged that the DP is crafting his 2022 dream team, with various regional heavyweights in his hustler nation movement lobbying to catch his attention.

Ruto's director of communication Emmanuel Talam said the DP's attention is now on firming up his 'hustler's economic blueprint'. "Distribution and sharing of positions is none of his priority now. He is busy now working on an economic plan for the whole country. That is why he is engaging all leaders from the entire country on this journey," Talam said

In the Ruto line-up, the hot contest is shaping up between Central, Western, Coast, and Eastern regions that are eyeing the three top slots. Insiders reveal that Ruto is wooing at least one Nasa chief for wider appeal in Western.

In Western, the DP allies in the region have been trying to woo outgoing Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya to team up with Ruto. Analysts have argued that with Kenya's voting pattern largely tribal, it would be critical for any presidential candidate to craft a broadly representative power plan. The DP has decided to dangle the running mate carrot to President Uhuru Kenyatta's populous Mt Kenya region and that's where Kiunjuri comes in.

The DP's camp believes that the Mt Kenya region will still vote for him, despite President Uhuru's move to transform the handshake into a 2022 political deal with Raila. On Tuesday, Kiunjuri said the leaders and residents of Mt Kenya will agree on one candidate." I have been a party leader and served in various Cabinet positions so I have what it takes not only to be Deputy President but even the President. But for now, I support the DP,” he said.

According to projections based on the 2019 census, Mt Kenya counties would have 5.9 million voters, excluding the diaspora Nakuru county, which will have 1.3 million votes. A substantial part of the region's support would give Ruto a massive head-start given that his own Rift Valley backyard is projected to hit 2.9 million votes next year. 

Political analyst Philip Chebunet said the top positions will be shared according to the numbers each of the regions is likely to add to the basket. The university lecturer said that “apart from Ruto having firm support in his Rift Valley turf, he has made inroads in Western, Coast and parts of Nyanza and these regions should be rewarded. “At the end of the day, winning an election is a game of numbers. The numbers cannot shy away from the fact that he must calculate his winning formula by considering the numbers of registered voters per county or region,” he said.“Mt Kenya is still likely to produce Ruto’s running mate. Western is good but it is not as solid as Mt Kenya,” Chebunet said.

 “When that time comes, we will speak in one voice as a region. But Kiunjuri is the right man to fit into the position. He has vast experience spanning over 25 years that few politicians have in Mt Kenya,” Laikipia Senator John Kinyua said.