Even in the midst of this now never ending Maize Scandal storm, deputy President William Ruto seem to be a man that won’t be brought down easily without putting in a fight.
The deputy President is known to have foot soldiers who are always there to protect and defend him in the midst of any storm that may attempt to curtail his ascension to the Presidency come 2022.
After being vehemently defended by a section of politicians from Nandi Hills MP Alfred Keter’s bile, reports have emerged that a section of farmers from the Rift Valley have also come to the DPs defence.
According to Alfred Keter, Ruto is the mastermind behind the maize shortage that has engulfed the country in the past few years.
Keter and his co-horts claim that Ruto has a well calculated plan that has even included discouraging people from the Rift Valley from engaging in Maize farming and instead adopt avocado and macadamia farming.
Speaking in Eldoret, one day after the claims made by former Cherengany MP Joshua Kuttuny, Nandi Hills MP Alfred Keter and Moiben MP Silas Tiren shocked the country, the different set of legislators led by Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi, a staunch DP Ruto ally dismissed the three legislators as brokers and fell short of saying that they are being bankrolled by Baringo Senator Gideon Moi to taint the DP’s name.
On November 16, Tiren was among a group of leaders who accompanied Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka as he paid a courtesy call to retired president Daniel Arap Moi at his home in Kabarak.
Also at the meeting were Baringo Senator Gideon Moi, Tiaty MP William Kamket, Kajiado Central MP Elijah Memusi and Kalonzo’s son Kennedy Musyoka.
Sudi also dismissed claims that the DP’s advice to farmers that they ought to diversify was meant to allow well-connected individuals benefit from maize payments at the expense of the toiling farmers.
Keter and his friends claimed that Ruto has a well calculated plan that has even included discouraging people from the Rift Valley from engaging in Maize farming and instead adopt avocado and macadamia farming.
According to Keter, Ruto cannot tell people to engage in Avocado and Macadamia farming without telling people what happened to the maize.
“You can’t be telling us to plant avocados, plant macadamia but you are not telling us what happened to maize…Now you have gone even to Congo. You are growing 500,000 acres of maize,” said Keter without producing any evidence.
The legislators asked the Director of Public Prosecutions Noordin Haji to crack the whip on the country’s second in command and influential officers at Harambee House Annex.
“Farmers, you must know this: most of our problems involving maize and fertilizer have been brought about the Deputy President and his office. We want his office investigated,” Keter said.
Are the Leaders right in Defending Ruto from the Maize Scandal?