Deputy President William Ruto’s eldest son Nick Ruto has thrown his hat into the ring, officially launching his political career and joining his father’s presidential campaign team ahead of the 2022 election.
In a well-crafted scheme, Nick who was in Rarieda for a fundraiser in aid of Nyamasore Catholic Church last weekend has been making public appearances mainly in church harambees and has frequently used the platform to drum up support for DP Ruto.
Well-placed sources privy to the details told Sunday Nation that Nick is working on an initiative to reach out to the youth in regions perceived to be hostile to DP Ruto’s 2022 bid.
The initiative will run parallel to DP Ruto’s other initiatives and political outfits and will target the millennial generation, born between 2000 and 2004 after the multi-party era and who have little idea of Mr. Raila Odinga’s role and sacrifices in the clamour for multi-party democracy.
Nick has hit the ground running with a series of activities, borrowing heavily from his father’s frequent church visits and harambees where politics often form part of the agenda.
His strategy also entails deploying a youthful brigade to the fiefdom of Opposition leader Raila Odinga targeting the youth born after the multi-party democracy struggle and who have little idea of Mr Odinga’s achievements during the struggle that has placed him above other politicians and is a key pillar in his political career.
The shy lawyer-cum-businessman first has been actively behind-the-scenes and has become increasingly visible a public function in Jomvu, in Mombasa County last month before proceeding to Rarieda in Bondo last weekend.
While in Jomvu, the young Ruto was accompanied by a local politician, Mohamed Abdalla, who hosted hundreds of youth before attending a church service at Jilam church in the same area.
Despite Nick and other speakers at his events denying that their mission is political, political analysts and multiples sources refuse to buy the explanation, maintaining that “you cannot distinguish the event from a political forum”.
Leaked campaign strategy
According to campaign strategy linked to DP Ruto’s team that leaked recently, an outfit dubbed Vijana na Ruto is being assembled and will be launched next year to endear DP Ruto to the youth.
It is not clear if Nick is behind the Vijana na Ruto lobby group that will complement the Inua mama lobby group comprising of the likes of Alice Wahome, Aisha Jumwa, Susan Kihika and Millicent Omanga.
The two lobby groups will keep Team Embrace that is opposed to the idea of Dr Ruto succeeding President Kenyatta in check.