You cannot implement the policies of a regime whose figurehead is a politician — one up for re-election — without backing that politician for re-election.
In other words, CS Opiyo Wandayi, for example, cannot be implementing the policies of the Ruto regime, which policies, if they succeed, only markets the implementing President, while at the same time supporting another formation.
It is normal in Kenya for ministers not to back the President who ‘appointed’ them to the ministerial roles. Such happens when a government is formed by “antagonistic parties” — as was the case of the NAK-LDP govt (2002-2005-2007); or PNU-ODM govt (2007-2012).
What is uncommon is for ministers who serve an incumbent President to full term; that is, till the very last months in power, to back other candidates than the incumbent.
The “ODM experts” in the current Ruto govt will back the incumbent.
To serve till the last day and bolt out will not wash because one needs to earn their space in the next government.
Such people get rendered irrelevant, with the real possibility of disappearing into oblivion.
Or you end up like Matiangi, formerly powerful, now entering Kenya at midnight, welcomed by political rejects and hangers on.
The point I’m trying to make is that Ruto ministers; the “experts and non-experts” alike, will back him for re-election. Any minister staying in government beyond this year will back the incumbent.
That means, for ODM in 2027, if the party backs another candidate other than President Ruto, it will automatically lose some of its luminaries – Joho, Mbadi, Oparanya, Wandayi, etc.
The pundits saying the ODM party will field a presidential candidate are correct.
What they fall short of saying is that that presidential candidate is William Samoei Ruto, the incumbent.
It does not matter on which political party the president will seek re-election on.
What matters is that whatever party it will be, the ODM Party will be in that coalition and its base will back Ruto.
At the risk of sounding excessive, I know I’m making this post at a time there’s so much posturing (noise) but remember two years ago very few were correct in how today will turn out.
I was one of them.
