President William Ruto should pay close attention to a viral video featuring Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichung’wah facing serious heckling while trying to address a roadside rally somewhere in Kiambu County.
The insults he faced are not worth printing in a decent rag and some are out of purely parochial local politics.
However, the real story is not about political duels in Kiambu County but the wider national picture. This is what President Ruto can no longer ignore—for it affirms shifting ground in the Mt Kenya region, where an electorate that backed him overwhelmingly in 2022, has grown increasingly disillusioned.
The barracking Mr Ichung’wah—also the National Assembly Majority Leader—endured signalled not just rejection of the MP but also President Ruto and the Kenya Kwanza promise.
In the run-up to the last elections, Mt Kenya voters shifted solidly towards Dr Ruto, decisively turning against their own ‘son’, then-outgoing President Uhuru Kenyatta, and his preferred candidate, opposition chief Raila Odinga heading the Azimio coalition ticket.
The Mountain is shifting back, and one cannot miss the signs of regret and a sense of betrayal. Mr Ichung’wah and others who revel in their roles as President Ruto’s point men in the populous region are having it rough, now accused of being sellouts and traitors who sold false promises.
Even Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has been unable to stamp his authority on the restless populace despite all efforts to project himself as the political kingpin and natural choice to restore national leadership back to the Mountain.
Heckling
The President has previously personally had to brave some heckling or indifference while on campaign stops in a region where he was revered not too long ago. He, therefore, should not be too surprised by what Ichung’wah faced.
What is important, however, is if he takes it as a wake-up call; or if he will swallow the lies of local henchmen and dismiss everything as Azimio propaganda or events stage-managed by Mr Kenyatta.
He will ignore the rumblings from the Mountain at his own peril; for the vote from the most populous voting bloc in Kenya guaranteed him electoral success last time around and can also guarantee failure if it appreciably abandons him come 2027.
Wrong way
As has been seen in recent days, President Ruto is aware of the problem, hence stepped-up forays in the area. Problem is, he is going about it the wrong way. Instead of addressing the key issues, he is employing the same old discredited tactics of going around launching and re-launching projects and generally dishing out goodies and promises.
Disillusioned voters will not be bought back into line by this version of voter bribery.
The core issues President Ruto needs to address revolve around failed and broken promises, an economy going south that impacts most harshly on the so-called ‘Hustler Nation’ and perceptions of an uncaring, unfeeling regime out of touch with the ground and willing to employ dictatorial methods to push through unpopular and projects of doubtful value.
Discontent in Mt Kenya stands out because that was President Ruto’s biggest vote basket; however, the palpable anger and disillusionment is also evident across the rest of the country.
Wallowing in delusion
Many of those who enjoy President Ruto’s ear are in denial. They are dismissing all the signs as opposition propaganda and wallowing in delusion that any display of discontent now will be inconsequential to the 2027 elections.
Conversations with some of them reveal the belief that the State machinery is all-powerful and will deliver the desired outcome at the next polls despite any rumblings. They should ask Mr Kenyatta about the consequences of the arrogance of power.
If he, indeed, desires a second term, President Ruto must take seriously warnings from the ground. He must extend his ears beyond a small self-serving cabal feeding him with lies on how they have the situation in their region under control. Many of those fellows today enjoy no more clout in their constituencies than the infamous court poets, masters of platitudes and vultures of reaction former President Daniel arap Moi imposed on the people.
Times are long ago when the likes of Joseph Kamotho, Shariff Nassir, Oloo Aringo, Moses Mudavadi, Kariuki Chotara and Mulu Mutisya could be relied upon to keep their own people in check.
Paper tigers imposed on the people will not deliver in Mt Kenya, nor further afield in Nyanza, Coast, Western, North-Eastern or anywhere else.
What will deliver is economic recovery, a stop to the return of endemic corruption and a caring, listening government that actually has a plan beyond "The Plan" of propaganda and optics.
