With 2022 fast approaching, the battle lines for the over 600,000 Maasai votes in Kajiado, Narok and Samburu counties have been drawn with William Ruto and Raila Odinga engaging in a cutthroat competition ahead of the 2022 polls.
Although the opposition leader has not officially declared his 2022 interests, analysts argue the veteran politician will have a bigger impact on the community’s 2022 voting pattern having in mind the fact that odm boss has since enjoyed massive support from the Maasai community since 2007.
With Raila’s 2022 interests still at stake, many observe that if Raila does not run, the community’s vote will highly likely to land in Ruto hands. Already, several Maasai leaders have pledged to rally the community in the three counties to support Ruto.
Kajiado governor Joseph Ole Lenku was the first to declare the community’s preferred presidential aspirant during the burial of senior chief Samuel Koriata in Narok South, a ceremony attended by Ruto.
“Some are telling me to forget about the succession debate but let me say today that I will rally the Maasai community to support Ruto so he can win the 2022 elections,” Lenku declared during the event. Lenku said that he was going to lead the community in forming a united front under Ruto ahead of 2022.
And in a move to echo Lenku’s sentiments at the same venue, Narok governor Samuel Tunai noted that the Jubilee Party administration had initiated projects and is pursuing others under Uhuru Kenyatta’s Big Four agenda on affordable housing, manufacturing, food security and universal health coverage, which will see Ruto carry the day in Maasailand in 2022.
In the polls, Lenku snatched the governorship seat from David Nkedianye of ODM who since decamped from the Orange party.
Newcomer Philip Mpaayei shook off a spirited onslaught from ODM’s Daniel Tinaai, to succeed Peter Mositet as Kajiado’s second senator.
Out of the five parliamentary seats, JP got four against ODM’s one. They are Joseph Manje of Kajiado North, Peris Tobiko of Kajiado East, George Sunkuyia of Kajiado West and Katoo ole Metito of Kajiado South. Elijah Memusi was the only exception retaining his Kajiado Central seat on an ODM ticket.
Other leaders who have vowed to back Ruto from the community include Narok West MP Gabriel Tongoyo who has been praising the DP as a warrior of the community’s interests.
“When a warrior is set for combat, he always asks a friend to give a spear, bows and arrows or any weapon for the fight. We assure you of our support,” Tongoyo said recently in the presence of the deputy president.
Ruto also enjoys massive support from Samburu governor Moses Lenokulal and MPs Korei Lemein (Narok South) and David Ole Sankok (nominated).
Although Ruto might brag of having an upper in the community’s support, recent massive receptions of ODM leader Raila Odinga at Narok stadium during the Madaraka day celebrations spells doom to Ruto’s 2022 hopes.
After what was seen as a well-calculated move to deny the ODM boss a chance to address the locals by some protocols at the function, Raila was however treated to a massive reception by the locals who stopped his brigade demanding to be addressed by him while leaving the venue.
From the onset, it so looked like Narok residents were so happy to see Raila grace the event going by the rousing welcome he received.
According to analysts, Ruto’s move to ‘block’ Raila from speaking at the function was due to Mau forest conservations and evictions which have remained unresolved issues in the region causing animosity between the two communities living in the area.
Given a chance to speak, Raila might have addressed the Mau issue that is still a pain in the neck of a number of Maasais and this would have not gone well with Ruto who is also out to defend members of his Kipsigis community from eviction from the vast forest.
If the number of leaders voted in through Jubilee party in 2017 elections is anything to go by, William Ruto still has an advantage over his rival Raila Odinga. During the 2017 polls, Jubilee party maintained its hold of Narok, Kajiado and partly Samburu.
In Narok, the party retained four of the six parliamentary seats except for Narok North where Moitalel ole Kenta recaptured his seat on an ODM ticket and Narok West which went to CCM.
During the 2017 campaigns, Raila threw barbs at Ruto saying the DP was to blame for the mismanagement of Maasai Mara National Reserve’s resources but this was not enough to convince the Maasai to vote for ODM candidates.
As things stand, Ruto is likely to command a larger following from Kajiado county with Raila Odinga having an upper hand in Narok vote. Only time will tell who among the two will win ‘Eshiankiki’s’ love in the long run…