Kenya’s Deputy President William Ruto’s team has in the recent past expanded his campaign team bringing on-board high-profile politicians as well as economists to assist him in the quest to be Kenya’s next president.
With the second in command having ruled out possibilities of working with political and tribal kingpins, Kivumbi.co.ke has established that Ruto has put together a 21-member team of professionals forming his think tank.
The team which comprises a two-tiered team of the political elite and top technocrats a is split into smaller clusters to research and write papers on thematic areas and providing practical ways to implement Ruto’s bottom-up economic approach.
According to the Star Newspaper, the professional think tanks include former Central Bank Governor Njuguna Ndung’u, economist David Ndii, former cabinet secretary Davis Chirchir, who is an ICT expert, and Larry Gumbe, a former ally of ODM leader Raila Odinga.
Economist David Ndii has been a fierce critic of the second in command for a long time but made a U-term recently and joined Ruto’s camp.
He has even gone on record saying Ruto’s past corruption accusations need to be dropped and not be weaponised ahead of the 2022 General Election.
Others in the team are Augustine Choge, Kap Kirwok Jason, Edward Kisiangani, a man who was against the handshake, Mugambi Mureithi, Raphael Munavu, former Raila Odinga ally Eliud Owalo and communications expert Barrack Muluka.
The political tier includes UDA chairman Johnson Muthama, Turkana Governor Josphat Nanok, ex-Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale, former Mombasa Senator Hassan Omar and former Agriculture CS Mwangi Kiunjuri.
Others in political arena include Nakuru Senator Susan Kihika, Uasin Gishu Woman Representative Gladys Shollei, Bahati MP Kimani Ngunjiri, Mathira MP Rigathi Gachagua and nominated MP Cecily Mbarire, among others.
According to Eliud Owalo, the team which includes three former principal secretaries, and former confidants of ODM chief Raila and ANC boss Musalia Mudavadi do meet regularly to fine-tune the “hustlers plan.”
In a statement released at the end of his three-day retreat with Mt. Kenya leaders, Ruto said said he will not bank on tribal chiefs but would intoduce a new political conversation.
“A conversation about ordinary people including mama mboga, Boda boda, and mkokoteni owners,” he said.
