Moses Kuria hints at Raila-Ruto alliance in 2022 (Video)

Gatundu South Member of parliament Moses Kuria has hinted at the possibility of Deputy President William Ruto and ODM party boss Raila Odinga working together in 2022.

During a live interview with Gerald Bitok, the legislator stated that Raila and Ruto were set to join hands prior to the election with the ‘union’ culminating to the duo finally going to next years’ poll as a team.

‘Raila will work with Ruto as part of his last bullet,’ he said.

Sources close to Uhuru say his handlers believe the handshake will define Raila’s next political step after the Uhuru completes his term. But Uhuru and Raila say the handshake is meant to address Kenya’s winner-takes-all politics, reorganize the Executive and ensure free and fair polls.

Pundits further believe that Uhuru’s choice of a successor could reunite Raila, Ruto.

Uhuru has never pronounced himself on Raila being his preferred successor but has publicly indicated that his heir will not be Ruto, and will neither be a Kikuyu nor a Kalenjin.

Moses Kuria and Raila Odinga.

Uhuru and Raila have been politically close after their much-publicized handshake.

It was widely expected that the President could back Raila to end political hate due to the post-Independence falling-out between their fathers, Jomo Kenyatta and Oginga Odinga, who were president and vice president respectively.

However, Raila has been left out in a new alliance said to have the backing of Uhuru allies and one that brings together Musalia, Kalonzo Musyoka (Wiper), Gideon Moi (Kanu) and Moses Wetang’ula (Ford Kenya).

Raila has become a subject of attacks in their recent rallies, with the leaders insisting that the former prime minister back someone else next year.

And with Ruto smarting from what his faction call betrayal by the President, there is a silent push for Raila and the DP to work together.

“Raila may not be our enemy after all. Going forward, you may not see the many attacks,” said a Ruto-allied MP, who did not want to be named.

Raila and Ruto worked together in the Pentagon—a powerful five-member ODM summit akin to a politburo and arguably the most potent political machine in Kenyan history.

The Pentagon comprised Raila, Ruto, Musalia, Tourism CS Najib Balala and the late Cabinet Minister Joe Nyaga.

Narc leader Charity Ngilu also joined the team though it retained its numerical identity.

They nearly vanquished then-President Mwai Kibaki from power. Presidential election results were disputed, leading to the formation of a grand coalition government.

Ruto would later serve as Minister for Agriculture and Raila as Prime Minister as part of a power-sharing matrix before their acrimonious split in 2011 that saw ODM lose its iron grip on the Kalenjin vote bloc.

After the break-up, Ruto initially sojourned in UDM before settling down into his new role as leader of the United Republican Party, an outfit through which he entered into a political marriage with then-Deputy Prime Minister and TNA leader Uhuru Kenyatta under the Jubilee coalition that won the 2013 election.

Since parting ways, Raila and Ruto have had a sour relationship that was further aggravated by Raila’s handshake deal with Uhuru in March 2018.

However, interviews gleaned together from a couple of Raila and Ruto allies left no doubt that circumstances could force the pair to work together.

Why the Kikuyu might vote for Ruto in 2022 (Video)

On Thursday, Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi, a staunch and outspoken Ruto ally, said while there are no active discussions between Raila and Ruto camps, he “cannot rule out anything”.

“At the moment, we are not having talks with anybody, including Raila’s people, but again in politics, you need not rule out anything,” he said.

National Assembly Minority leader John Mbadi, while insisting that the ODM boss and Ruto do not share any ideological views, did not rule out a possible reunion ahead of next year’s election.

“Ruto is completely in a different political environment at the moment—which is at variance with ours—but in politics, you can’t rule out anything. But I don’t think we are there yet,” the ODM chairman said.

He said the Orange party is not desperate for alliances at the moment because it has yet to settle on its 2022 presidential flag bearer.

“Much as I know, in the current political setup and with my experience, ahead of the 2022 election, we will have to enter into alliances but I don’t think we are desperate at the moment,” Mbadi said.

“You can only enter into a political alliance when you have your line-up, we don’t have a line-up at the moment but we shall have that soon.”

On Wednesday last week, Raila opposed proposed legislation against ‘hustler’ narrativea campaign mantra propagated by Ruto saying it would amount to a violation of the right to freedom of speech.

Watch Moses Kuria’s sentiments below;

This @geraldbitok talk with @HonMoses_Kuria just got to the most interesting part, the Mt Kenya Kingpin has just predicted that Raila Odinga and William Ruto will work together before the 2022 general elections, do you think its possible? #MosesKuriaSpeaks pic.twitter.com/2zUfVB8h1v

— ja kisumu (@itsWesleyKE) February 23, 2021