Nairobi — AGRICULTURE minister William Ruto is already budgeting for a presidential campaign that will cost Sh8 billion, according to sources close to him.

Key political and business associates, both locally and abroad, have projected to raise the amount by mid-2011.

Ruto has made up his mind to run for the presidency and has put together a think-tank of professionals from all of Kenya's provinces to work on his plan.

Ruto told a rally in Kapenguria over the weekend that he would make a major announcement on his presidential campaign at the New Year party he is organizing at his Sugoi home in Eldoret North. Ruto plans to take over the United Democratic Party that he helped found in 1997, according to multiple sources.

UDM Secretary General Martin ole Kamwaro denied Ruto was about to take over the party.

"This idea of Ruto taking over UDM is an idea perpetuated with the press. It has never been discussed by our party and the truth is Ruto is not a member of our party," Kamwaro said.

However a confidential memo from the North Rift Chapter of the Friends of Ruto 2012 Secretariat, published in the Star last week, indicated that UDM was his party of choice.

Ruto has already hired two journalists to put together his information desk and media campaigns ahead of the 2012 elections that he has declared to be the 'year of generational change'.

He has made it clear to his close associates that he will quit ODM at an opportune time because his differences with Prime Minister Raila Odinga can no longer be healed.

Professionals and Kalenjin friends of the minister have been meeting at his homes in Eldoret and Nairobi to discuss the 2012 campaign budget.

His supporters are proposing to set up a campaign secretariat next year and to buy four vehicles and two helicopters for the presidential campaign.

Plans are also afoot to have him acquire a media channel within next year.

The Ruto think-tank includes lawyers and is chaired by a business associate who runs an insurance firm in Nairobi.

A lawyer in the team, who declined to be named, said they are already working on the budget for Ruto's campaign.

"We are estimating that it will cost about Sh8 billion because we plan to hit the ground seriously from early next year", he said.

Ruto has made contacts inside and outside Kenya to top up his financial war chest.

He has also put together a team of about 30 MPs from the current Parliament who will be his point men in the provinces.

Ruto's proposed budget is three times what the main political parties spent in 2007 combined.

Last April, the report on 2007 campaign, finance and corruption showed that the three major political parties spent Sh3.5 billion in election campaigns in 2007. The report was released in April last year.

PNU under President Kibaki topped the list with Sh2.1 billion while ODM spent Sh1.2 billion on presidential candidate Raila Odinga.

ODM-Kenya, whose presidential candidate Kalonzo Musyoka, spent Sh157 million.

"We are serious about having Ruto run for the presidency and we are ready for it the way he has said himself", Cherengani MP Kutuny told a rally in Western Kenya yesterday.

"Right from the grassroot level, we have made networks with councilors, opinion leaders and elders who will be key in our team. We have had very positive responses from friends and even diplomats internationally", said Kutuny, the political spokesman for Ruto's team.

Next week, he said they plan to meet leaders from Meru.

He claimed to have met several diplomats who are impressed by his performance at the Ministry of Agriculture and his fresh ideas of leadership.

"We have a very serious technical bench that is working on everything including the budgets and how we will raise the money we need. Ruto is a principled politician who goes for what his minds have decided", he said.

But Paul Kibet, Keiyo branch chairman of Kanu, says Ruto has a mountain to climb if he is to succeed as a presidential candidate.

Kibet says that Ruto is yet to get support from all Kalenjin sub tribes and to reconcile with key elders including retired President Moi with whom he differed during the last election.

"He cannot make any impact beyond the Nandi community which he has been favouring in terms of appointments in his ministry. Further more the ministry is yet to meet expectations by farmers", said Kibet.

Councilor Farouk Kibet, a close ally of Ruto, said the minister has the capacity to attract national support.

"As Kalenjins we also don't want a tribal leader and that is why we have asked Ruto to go out of Rift Valley and seek support nationally.

The best resource Ruto has is the capacity to make network and friends everywhere. We even do not need a lot of money, we just require the goodwill from all Kenyans", said Farouk.

Within Rift Valley Ruto, has managed to whip behind him almost all Kalenjin MPs, except ministers Henry Kosgey and Sally Kosgey who are strong supporters of the PM.

In Western Province where Ruto plans to do battle with Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi, Ruto has revived his relations with Lugari MP Cyrus Jirongo who campaigned for President Moi with him in 1992 in the Youth for Kanu group.

Jirongo has denied that he will back Ruto in 2012.

"I have told our friends from Rift Valley and Central Kenya that it's not only them who can produce presidents for this country. This time around they have to either support someone from Western or Eastern, but probably from Western because we have a large population", said Jirongo.

Ruto has also enlisted the support of MPs Ababu Namwamba and Chris Okemo in the region.

He has built similar networks of MPs in Eastern, Coast, North Eastern and Nairobi regions.