What is cooking between Deputy President William Ruto and Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka?
This is the question lingering in the minds of many Kenyans, who were surprised to see the two leaders, considered as political rivals, in a warm handshake similar to that shared by President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga while announcing their political truce in 2018.
While Ruto and Kalonzo’s handshake during the close of the African Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) summit could be anything as simple as acquaintances exchanging pleasantries, it is impossible for Kenyans to dismiss the possibility of an upcoming political force in the name of the two leaders.
This is as the 2022 General Election debate heats up, with leaders already appearing to pick sides ahead of the much-awaited poll.
Ruto and Kalonzo were running mates of Uhuru and Raila, respectively, in the 2017 election, and with Uhuru and Raila’s newly found friendship, the two now seem lost in the political quagmire being witnessed in the country.
While Ruto has been vocal about his 2022 presidential aspirations, little has been heard from Kalonzo since the breaking apart of the National Super Alliance (NASA) coalition which lost to the current administration, twice, in 2017.
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— Dennis Itumbi, HSC (@OleItumbi) December 10, 2019
Speculations are rife that Ruto is on the hunt for a worthy running mate, and given the dynamics of the Kenyan political sphere, a Ruto-Kalonzo candidature would not come as surprise to citizens.