”Instead of a single center of sovereign power , there must be multiple centers of power, none of which is or can be wholly sovereign.” – Robert A. Dahl
After serving first in office, between 2013 to 2017, Jubilee Coalition, previously made up of close to ten political parties made a decision to collapse all the affiliate parties into a single political unit. The Jubilee Party.
Behind this radical decision was Deputy President William Ruto, a ruthless political operative, who got his mentorship from late president Daniel Moi.
Before the repeal of section 2A in 1992, Kenya was a one-party state, captured by KANU and ruled with an iron fist under Moi, as the Supreme Leader.
At the peak of Moi’s dictatorship, was William Ruto, leading the brutal YK 92. A state-funded KANU-Youth wing, with access to state machinery helping it mete violence on anti-government voices, from 1990 to 1994.
During the time in KANU, Ruto experienced first-hand, the power, and political efficiency which came with a One Party-state. However wrong his perception was.
After 2002, when KANU was uprooted from power, Moi’s orphans like the DP and Uhuru Kenyatta were left in the political cold and had to chart their own political paths. Mr. Kenyatta took over KANU’s leadership, while Mr. Ruto decamped to ODM, three years later.
Over two decades later, Ruto is stuck on the centralized power-mentality. Even worrying is, DP is running for the top seat in 2022 and could return Kenya to a single-party state.
Just like he fought tooth and nail, to have the Jubilee Coalition collapse into one party (Jubilee Party) in 2017, Ruto has told his allies in other political parties supporting his presidential bid, to collapse and join UDA.
People’s Empowerment Party led by Gatundu South Moses Kuria, and Mwangi Kiunjuri’s The Service Party (TSP) are casualties.
Despite strong opposition from Moses Kuria and Mwangi Kiunjuri, the DP insists the two must dissolve their parties, if they are committed to making him president in 2022.
