BY JOE MODIE
In the last two weeks there have been increased activity on the staircase leading to Deputy President William Ruto’s Karen residence, where candidates are handed a yellow cap to indicate that they will be contesting for various elective seats on a UDA ticket.
While on the face of it, the ‘defections’ might appear innocuous, there appears to be a renewed urgency, which masks a more sinister endeavour.
The latest in a string of defectors is the Makueni Deputy Governor, Adelina Mwau, which was followed with a swift repudiation by her boss, Kivutha Kibwana.
He termed the deal between Ruto and Adelina as ‘clandestine’ and further accused his deputy of seeking ‘self-aggrandizement’.
Kibwana is one of the governors who has pledged his support to Raila Odinga’s Azimio la Umoja.
Then there was Ann Wamuratha, the motivational speaker cum boy-child defender, who was ‘crowned’ by UDA to contest the Woman Rep seat in Kiambu, only for the DP to ‘bless’, Loise Kim, a Gikuyu gospel artiste to go for the same seat.
Starehe MP Jaguar, also recently appeared in Karen to receive his UDA kofia, when it is common knowledge that EALA MP, Simon Mbugua, who has been more active and visible within the Hustlernation, has an interest in the same seat.
Kameme FM presenter, Njogu wa Njoroge, who is known to enjoy close friendship with President Uhuru Kenyatta, also made his pilgrimage to Karen.
The question on most people’s minds is why these individuals are making the switch now, when all indications are that they would be better off elsewhere.
Could it be that their appearances in Karen are against their wish?
I will attempt to answer this question by first of all examining Kibwana’s statement, where he made reference to self-aggrandizement. It is a well-known fact that DP Ruto has been a very ‘generous’ host.
No one goes to visit him and comes out empty handed. Word on the street has been that Karen is the ‘hotel’, where all manner of political actors troop to eat to their fill.
To be more precise Karen has been a source of financial handouts.
While there are those who ‘ate’ and decided to stick with the DP, there are those who considered themselves smart enough to eat and not show commitment to the hustlers’ cause.
What they hadn’t reckoned with is that Ruto is the shylock who always comes back for his pound of flesh.
They are slowly waking up to the realisation that there is nothing like free lunch especially in UDA politics.
Thus, the DP has lately been scanning his ‘loan book’ and making it clear to some ‘defaulters’ that he is about to attach the ‘security’, if they do not ‘pay up’ – play ball.
Let me illustrate further: Last week, Wamuratha ‘appeared’ in Karen but proceeded to delete the post and all pictures herself receiving the yellow kofia in Karen.
This is the clearest indication that the pilgrimage to Karen has lately not been voluntary.
If she truly wishes to represent Kiambu County on a UDA ticket, why doesn’t she want her over 700,000 followers to see her association with the DP?
Is she ashamed of the association? Did she think she would get away with eating Ruto’s handouts and refuse to play ball?
Hawk-eyed Kieleweke bloggers noted Wamuratha’s deceit and called her out.
This must have caught the attention of Karen handlers, who must have made a call to her.
The next morning she put the Karen pictures back on her wall and reminded all that cared to listen that she made the decision with ‘a sound mind’.
Then there was the appearance of Loise Kim in Karen, which was a double edged sword. To put Wamuratha in check and to serve as a lesson to Loise that she too can’t away from the DP.
For Njoroge, he must have inernalised the message that it is improper to eat from both the president and his deputy and expect to get away with it. Same case applies to Jaguar and Adelina.
The yellow kofia, is, for all intents and purposes, a poisoned chalice, for later day converts to the Hustlernation.