Ruto plan A is GEMA (Jubilee) - Plan B is to work with Luhyas (possibly try to win Kakamega and Bungoma) - and of course Ruto need to win at least 30% of direct support - and I think he already does that - Gusii is the problematic area - but he has headway in Coast ( he needs to buy Amason Kingi off and he can seal off Mijikenda & related - because Raila's will stick to Joho). Ruto has Kamatusa (turkanas have finally abandoned Raila). He has Somalis and related pastoralists. That already give him about 17 counties to start with....including 10 where Kalenjin are present in some numbers ...BOMET,ELGEYO MARAKWET,POKOT,KERICHO,NANDI,UASIN GISHU,NAKURU,NAROK,BARINGO,TRANS NZOIA,BUNGOMA - MATUSA -KAJIADO,LAIKIPIA,TURKANA,SAMBURU - SOMALI & RELATED - WAJIR/GARISSA/MANDERA/ISIOLO/MARSABIT - and possibly TANA RIVER- Those are now mostly under LOCK & KEY - RUTO can play big in many parts of Western, Gusii & Kuria and Coast of course.So Ruto's maths look really good without even factoring GEMA.
Ruto need to concentrate on Luhyaland - Bungoma, Kakamega and possibly Busia (Iteso can play ball easily). And in areas where he can't play like Ukambani - try to sponsors 2 or 3 candidates to split the vote up. He also need to pry away Amason Kingi & Giriams - and that should give him enough force to kick Joho and his arab financiers at bay.
Ruto's indecisive too on GEMA -afraid anyone he picks will be offed by Uhuru. Ruto's also facing the region dilemma - all big tribes want PORK or DPORK - so if Ruto goes Luhya - Raila goes GEMA. It's a wait-&-see dining philosophers scenario.
I see a Ruto-Kiunjuri v Raila-PK or such - GEMA fulcrum - as possible. Referendum remains a big spanner that can unsettle the billiard.