Jubilee Party Vice-Chair David Murathe has ruffled feathers in Deputy President William Ruto’s UDA after he said no one can become president without leading the opposition first.

In his remark directed at Ruto, Murathe insinuated that the DP could not succeed his boss, President Uhuru Kenyatta, until he serves as leader of the official opposition

Speaking Sunday ahead of the Jamhuri Day fete at Uhuru Gardens, Nairobi, the fiery politician argued that leading the opposition gives one an upper hand in coming elections.

Murathe noted that President Kenyatta and all past presidents (Mwai Kibaki, and the late Daniel Moi) at one time served in the opposition before later ascending to power.

He added that, as it stands, ODM Party Leader Raila Odinga was the best placed politician to succeed Uhuru in the 2022 presidential race, having once served as an opposition leader.

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"My friend nobody has ever become president in this republic until you become the leader of the opposition. Uhuru was the leader of the opposition, same to Kibaki and Moi. Even Raila has been the leader of the opposition. There is nobody who becomes president in this country until you have been the leader of opposition," Murathe said.

He intimated that the political ground would shift significantly come next year and many politicians would shift camp to give them an edge in the run up to the general election.

"It is a silly season. You will see lots of movements and shifts. At the end of the day, it is the people who will make their decision," he added.

He insinuated that the shifts in party loyalties will favour Raila as he makes his fifth stab at State House after launching his bid during the Azimio La Umoja National Convention held at Kasarani on December 10.

At the convention, Murathe said Mt Kenya leaders will hit the campaign trail to sanitise Raila saying politicians from the region had spread propaganda about him in the past.

"We went to the mountain with lies and propaganda about Raila. We will go back there to now tell the truth and unlock the lies that we fed the electorate with. We don't have any problem with any community in Kenya. Our problem is Ali Baba and the 40 thieves. We have decided that this time it’s Raila. The other group cannot bring any change, we know who is capable of bring change to our country," he said on Friday.