A fresh political storm is brewing in the ruling Jubilee party after a section of the party’s MPs sensationally claimed Deputy President William Ruto was the source of the problems local maize farmers were grappling with.
Nandi Hills MP Alfred Keter and his Chereng’ani counterpart Joshua Kutuny alleged Ruto was advising farmers to abandon maize farming and start growing avocado and other crops because he wanted to monopolise the local maize market.
Now leaders, led by Kericho Senator Aaron Cheruiyot said Nandi Hills MP Alfred Keter, Cherangany MP Joshua Kutuny and their Moiben counterpart Silas Teren are taking advantage of the challenges facing farmers to tarnish DP Ruto’s name and for their own political mileage.
“These are people with hidden agenda that is why you see in all their press conferences their target is to malign the name of the Deputy President so whenever there are challenges in the country, all they do is to try and see how they can link DP Ruto and we are telling them enough is enough,” Cheruiyot said.
Soy MP Caleb Kositany and his Endebess counterpart Robert Pukose urged farmers not to pay attention to what the three had to say stating that they have no any solution to offer and are only being used by Ruto’s political detractors.
“The allegations peddled by these three are not realistic, credible or necessary to the solutions of the challenges the farmers face and they have no meaningful solution potential.” Kositany said.
The leaders urged their colleagues to sit down with Jubilee leadership and find a permanent solution for the challenges that the country is facing instead of creating wrangles for selfish gain.
Speaking at a farmers’ meeting in Eldoret on Saturday, November 17, Keter alleged the DP was planning to grow over 500,000 acres of maize in Congo with the intention of importing the produce to Kenya.
“You (Ruto) have now moved up to Congo where you are planning to grow over 500,000 acres of maize…then you tell us about avocado? Even that avocado, we know you also have a factory in Botswana where you process it,” Keter said in Swahili.
The rebel politicians went further to call for the DP to investigated over the maize saga. They also asked Ruto to stop talking to them about 2022 politics and frequent church harambees and instead focus on solving the problem that he himself allegedly created.
Do you believe that indeed Ruto is playing games in the maize scandal?