Deputy President William Ruto has fought many political battles in 2019 that have left him badly bruised but still going strong.
DP Ruto’s make or break moment
Raila accused the DP of being obsessed with 2022 politics
File image of DP William Ruto
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He is set to end the year on a high note with pressure monting from former Prime Minister Raila Odinga who has demanded for his resignation.
This is just the latest in his make or break moments of 2019 that have seen the self-styled hustler navigate various challenges in his quest to succeed President Uhuru Kenyatta.
A letter alleging an assassination plot to eliminate the DP surfaced in June.
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Detectives would delve into the matter with 4 Cabinet Secretaries presenting themselves at DCI offices to shed more light into the matter.
The letter would see Dennis Itumbi’s name mentioned in an ugly scandal that left the DP bruised.
He however picked up the pieces and moved on the the next battle, all the while trailing his guns on former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
The fight against corruption has left many casualties in its wake with DP Ruto’s name surfacing as pressure mounted for a lifestyle audit as directed by President Uhuru Kenyatta.
More than a year later, the matter has been relegated to the backseat and DP appears to have survived the onslaught that saw ODM lawmakers focs their attention on his flamboyant lifestyle, millions splashed at harambees whose source remain a controversial subject.
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This was followed by the dam scandal that sank treasury CS Henry Rotich’s career.
DP Ruto’s critics were quick to point out that most of the suspects in corruption scandal are from DP Ruto’s Rift Valley backyard or allied to the Tangatanga faction of Jubilee.
The Building Bridges Initiative was perhaps his most trying moment as he was opposed to the report and had been a leading critic of the handshake between President Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila Oding.
The matter had placed him on a collision path with the president and Odinga who were solidly behind the handshake with rival faction emerging in Jubilee.
With his political career and ambitions on the line (in the event of a fallout that appeared imminent) the DP hastily retreated and reassembled his troops.
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Overnight, or so it seemed, vocal critics of the BBI such as Kipchumba Murkomen became its leading champions.
Shortly afterwards, the DP who had been opposed to the idea of a referendum even began warming up to the idea.
In all these political battles, the DP has been tactful, painting the image of a seasoned political pundit even though a number of times he has been cornered and had to bow to pressure.
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