Azimio flagbearer Raila Odinga is likely to get more votes from the public spat between President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto.
In an interview on Citizen TV on Sunday, July 31, Dr. Tom Wolf, a research analyst with TIFA stated that the all-out war which has degenerated into assassination claims, could work in favour of Odinga.
“I think with the barbs being exchanged between the president and his deputy, in a way it makes Raila, who is not in the middle of this look sober and relaxed. Given the fact that more Kenyans are conservative in their personal relations, they might be put off a bit by this mudslinging. I am not sure,” he stated
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Dr. Wolf who has been watching the Kenyan campaigns since 1969 says that DP Ruto's response to the president was spontaneous.
He further claimed that he is sure DP Ruto has decided to throw salvos at the president is the best approach to take him head-on.
The spat between the president and his deputy who is seeking to succeed him on a UDA ticket has attracted backlash many quarters including the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) and the clergy.
The DP has been lashing out at the president for Jubilee government's failure in the last 5 years. Their relationship hit rock bottom in March 2018 after Uhuru and Odinga signed a deal famously known as the handshake.
Over the years, Ruto has blamed the handshake for everything not working in the country -from the high cost of living to the flopped Big Four Agenda.
While addressing a series of rallies in Nandi on Friday, Ruto called on President Uhuru not to harm his children but to deal with their political differences man to man.
However, according Dr. Wolf, the DP was trading on dangerous grounds, with less than a week to such a competitive race.
“The DP is aware that Kenyans are unhappy with the status quo, if he thinks the president represents the status quo and is supporting his opponent, that supports me. But does it really? I’m not sure,” Dr. Wolf argued
The president on Monday while launching the Nairobi Expressway responded to his DP's recent salvo.
Uhuru told off Dr Ruto asking him to stop engaging him in his campaigns and instead focus on drumming support for bid
“Campaign for yourself and leave me alone. I am doing my job, when I finish, I will go home, if Kenyans vote for you, well and good and if they don't, we will go home together. The world will still move on,” Uhuru stated
Meanwhile, the latest poll by IRS placed Ruto ahead of Odinga at a popularity rating of 53.1 per cent against Raila's 42.7 per cent.
