Deputy President William Ruto has hatched a new strategy to counter President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga. The tactic is famous with Tanzania's Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party under President John Magufuli.
Ruto's camp used the well-orchestrated plan in by-elections in various regions in the country and is also allegedly plotting to use it to counter the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI). The strategy failed in Kibra, Nairobi in 2019 but registered success in Msambweni, Kwale, where independent candidate Feisal Bader trounced ODM's candidate Omar Boga.
The strategy dubbed the 'Ujamaa-style' involves empowering the people with campaigns beginning from households and villages. CCM has used it in all of its campaigns including the 2019 controversial elections where Magufuli was accused of rigging.
Ruto terms it as a bottom-up tactic and letting people have the say. He argues that there is a need for Kenyans to change the retrogressive politics in the country where a few cabals allegedly dictate how politics will be played.
"From Msambweni, we have realised that everyone should be involved in the campaign. We are going the CCM way," former Machakos Senator and Ruto's strategist, Johnson Muthama confirmed.
Ruto's team added that the Tanzanian module is flexible and can be diversified to meet any relevant needs. However, political analyst Javas Bigambo warned the camp not to let Msambweni victory go into their heads.
"Let them use it to plan how to grab more Odinga strongholds and expand Ruto's influence. They should also know that the loss was a wake-up call to Odinga to re-strategise," Bigambo stated in an interview with KTN News.
The by-election for Matungu Constituency, slated for March 2021, may see Ruto face-off with Jubilee Party who are interested in fielding a candidate. ODM too will support its candidate, same for Amani National Congress under Musalia Mudavadi. Other by-elections will take place in Kabuchai, Bungoma (Parliamentary, Machakos (Senatorial) and several wards countrywide.
In July, Ruto unveiled a 16-member team that will spearhead his 2022 election campaign. The team included Caroli Omondi, Odinga's former chief of staff in the Grand Coalition government, former senators Boni Khalwale (Kakamega), Omar Hassan (Mombasa), and Johnson Muthama (Machakos).
It was divided into various sections from Political and Legal Affairs, Agriculture and Food Security, Communication, Youth for Ruto and Women and Gender and technical advisors.
This team is reportedly well organised that they do not need Ruto to avail himself in by-elections, as seen in Msambweni where Raila Odinga physically toured the area but lost to Ruto's candidate.
The team roped Magufuli's strategy into their own which involves engaging the youth, women and church. Ruto has been keen on spreading his influence on the three who he said would see him ascend to Presidency.
The communication team has also pushed Ruto's influence on social media platforms, with Digital Strategist Dennis Itumbi incorporated in the department and also spearheading the Youth for Ruto team.
They are also dishing out money and wheelbarrows to the youth as incentives, a move which Odinga and Kenyatta are opposing, terming it at retrogressive.
In July 2020, reports alleged that Kenyatta had rolled out a plan to clip Ruto's influence by reaching out to elders, church and youth leaders. He has also spoken on empowering the youth to provide for themselves rather than depend on cheap offerings.
