NAIROBI, Sept 13, 2022 (BSS/AFP) - Kenya's William Ruto will on Tuesday
take charge of the East African economic powerhouse after the country's
Supreme Court confirmed his narrow victory over veteran politician Raila
Odinga in the August 9 poll.

Odinga accepted the ruling but categorically said he did not agree with it,
portending political divisions that the country is ill-equipped to cope with
as it faces a cost-of-living crisis and a brutal drought.

Here is a look at what lies ahead as the new government takes shape:

- Can Ruto mend the political divide? -

Kenya's traditional ethnic voting blocs may have ceded ground to class
dynamics in this year's polls, but as in the case of previous elections, the
result reflected a nation sharply split down the middle.

An effective political strategist, Ruto portrayed the election as a battle
between ordinary "hustlers" and "dynasties" -- a reference to Odinga and
outgoing President Uhuru Kenyatta, whose families have dominated politics
since independence from

Britain in 1963.

The 55-year-old deputy president scraped to victory by a margin of less than
two percentage points and has struck a conciliatory tone since the results
were announced, promising that his government will serve all Kenyans,
regardless of political or ethnic affiliation.

According to the Eurasia Group political risk consultancy, "Ruto has worked
to co-opt independent lawmakers and weak links in Azimio (Odinga's coalition)
to establish an operational majority sufficient to pass legislation and
budgets" in parliament.

But Ruto's relationship with Odinga and Kenyatta, former rivals who struck an
unlikely alliance ahead of the poll, remains fractious. The outgoing
president pointedly failed to publicly congratulate his long-standing deputy
for winning the election until the very eve of his inauguration.

- How will the economy fare? -

Kenya is the most dynamic economy in East Africa but many are suffering deep
hardship. Prices for basic goods are skyrocketing in the wake of Covid and
the war in Ukraine, and unemployment is a major problem particularly among
the young.

Inflation soared to a 65-month high of 8.5 percent in August in the face of a
weakening currency, rising fuel costs and a poorly implemented subsidy to
halve the price of maize flour used to prepare ugali, a dense porridge that
is Kenya's staple food.

Ruto -- who capitalised on growing frustration among Kenya's poor -- has
vowed to tackle the cost-of-living crisis and the country's $70-billion debt
mountain.

He said he would establish a 50-billion-shilling ($415-million) "hustlers
fund" to provide loans to small enterprises to help drive growth and a
fertiliser subsidy to reinvigorate farming -- the backbone of the economy
that contributes more than 20 percent to GDP.

Florentina Kimoi, who hails from Ruto's Rift Valley bastion of Eldoret, told
AFP she hoped the incoming president would pay attention to "long-suffering"
farmers like her.

"This year many farmers did not plant cash crops such as maize, cassava
(tapioca) and wheat because the prices of fertilisers were too high," said
81-year-old Kimoi.

"In the old days there was a lot of food but things have changed. Nowadays
people need money to buy food and earn a livelihood."

- What about the fight against corruption? -

Ruto has promised to crack down on graft -- a hot-button issue in a country
where dozens of leaders are facing charges of embezzling public funds -- but
the promise rings hollow to many Kenyans.

Ruto himself boasts a shadowy reputation with graft claims against him going
back years, and his scandal-hit running mate Rigathi Gachagua was ordered to
forfeit almost $1.7 million in a court ruling following a corruption probe.

In an editorial last week, The Standard newspaper pleaded for Ruto to pick
"men and women of integrity" to serve in his administration.

Transparency International ranked Kenya 128th out of 180 in its 2021
corruption perception index, saying the fight against graft had "stagnated".

- How will Ruto treat Kenya's neighbours? -

Ruto's predecessor Kenyatta devoted a large chunk of his second term to
playing peacemaker in East Africa, easing tensions with Somalia, intervening
in the crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and hosting talks between
Sudan and Ethiopia.

Kenya's allies are anxiously wondering what is next for a country that has
evolved into a trusted ally and democratic anchor in a troubled region.

Analysts say the most pressing regional issue will be the fighting in
Ethiopia between government forces and rebels that resumed last month,
shattering a March truce.

Kenyatta had been touted as a possible mediator and offered Nairobi as a
venue for peace talks, which the warring sides have both now agreed should be
led by the African Union.