Here Is Why Silence is Ruto’s Best Strategy

We all agree that William Ruto is a charming and charismatic politician. His aggressiveness and grass-root mobilization skills can only be compared to those of Raila Odinga. But is Ruto shrewd enough to survive the sustained political onslaught against him and his political allies?

They say that a good sailor is known during turbulent waters and stormy seas. William Ruto is currently facing the biggest political test of his life. Will he be the biblical David and take on the ‘Deep State’? A countless number of times, David Murathe, perceived to be a close ally of The President, is on record saying that Jubilee will not hand over power to ‘a thief’. It is an open secret that Ruto is the thief’ alluded to in this statement.

But what are Ruto’s options?

History has proved that silence is a powerful weapon in the hands of the wise. But in politics remaining silent when your enemies have unsheathed their swords ready to purge takes practice and self-control. As the waters get murky and the sea less navigable for Ruto, silence seems to be the only powerful sword he has.

Silence will help him increase his understanding and learn more about his political detractors. What cards do they still have to play? What fearsome political assets have they assembled for this political warfare?

A good general knows when to lose a battle so as to win the war. Did Kipchumba Murkomen, a close confidant of the DP, have this in mind when he said that they have decided to lose the battle but win the ultimate prize?

Niccolò Machiavelli wrote, “No enterprise is more likely to succeed than the one concealed from the enemy until it is ripe for execution” As Robert Greenie teaches in his 48 Laws of Power, Ruto needs to assume formlessness: appear to take no shape, to have no visible plan. Predators only attack what they see. Taking on the ‘system’ through attacks online and press conferences may seem to work in the short run but spell disaster in the long run.

If Ruto adopts silence as his strategy, those hell-bent on frustrating his presidential bid will fail to understand him and therefore form no strategy to attack him. Let him be like vapor. Let him not give his opponents anything solid to attack. Let him watch as they exhaust themselves trying to bring him down.  Then when the time is ripe, when he is already Kinged, let him pray to God to awaken the ‘political genius’ in him.

In his book The Prince, Machiavelli states, “Therefore the best fortress is to be found in the love of the people, for although you may have fortresses, they will not save you if you are hated by the people. “Like the late Mzee Moi, Ruto needs to whip his lieutenants into the restraint. They should, instead, direct their energies to build grassroots networks and connections. Ruto needs to invest more in cementing the networks he has built with religious leaders than fighting the ‘deep state’.

By Iyaya Kiveu