Deputy President William Ruto has devised a new strategy to counter President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga. The strategy can be linked to Tanzania's Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party under President John Magufuli.
Ruto has used the tactic in the recent by-elections and it's alleged that they'll embrace the same strategy to tackle the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI).
The strategy might have failed in Kibra, however, it registered success in the Msambweni by-election that saw ODM's candidate Omar Boga thrashed by independent candidate Feisal Bader.
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Named 'Ujamaa style' the tactic entails plotting campaigns that begin from households and villages. It is reported that CCM used the strategy in the 2019 controversial election where Magufuli was accused of rigging.
The Deputy President has dubbed it the bottom-up tactic that allows the people to have a say.
"From Msambweni, we have realized that everyone should be involved in the campaign. We are going the CCM way," former Machakos Senator Johnson Muthama stated.
Ruto strategist conveyed that the CCM tactic is malleable as it can be modified to meet any needs.
With Ruto's camp thinking of the Msambweni victory as the ground zero for their envisioned 2022 success, political analyst, Javas Bigambo faulted their strategy saying: "Let them use it to plan how to grab more Odinga strongholds and expand Ruto's influence. They should also know that the loss was a wake-up call to Odinga to re-strategise."
In July, Ruto came out of the drawing board with a 16-member team expected to put his 2022 election campaign in full gear. The team is inclusive of Caroli Omondi, Odinga's former chief of staff in the Grand Coalition government, former senators Boni Khalwale (Kakamega), Omar Hassan (Mombasa), and Johnson Muthama (Machakos).
The team has its area of interest strewing from Political and Legal Affairs to Agriculture and Food Security.
It is claimed that the team is well-positioned to strike victory without DP Ruto having to avail himself in by-elections as Raila did in Msambweni.
The team added elements of Magufuli's strategy to their own, producing a tactic that calls for them to engage the youth, women, and church.
Ruto has also reinforced his online influence by coming up with a communication team led by Digital Strategist Dennis Itumbi.