Rift Valley leaders dare Uhuru to divorce DP Ruto

In just a year’s time, the political drums that once pitted political namesis NASA coalition and the ruling Jubilee party have changed tunes.

A section of DP Ruto’s allies have now come to sharply criticize President Kenyatta and his new-found bosom buddy-Raila Odinga for attempting to malign Dr Ruto’s name in the war against graft.

The leaders pointed out that the current happening in the country on the fight against graft was targeted at Deputy President William Ruto as to bring him down politically ahead of 2022.

Cracks in Jubilee

In what seemed to be a growing rift in the ruling party, the leaders said President Uhuru was using handshake and the war on corruption to fight the DP and possibly deny his people development.

Led by Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi and Senators- Kipchumba Murkomen (Elgeiyo marakwet) and Aaron Cheruiyot (Kericho), the visibly angry legislators said they were now concerned about the manner in which corruption was being fought noting it was being wedged towards one community.

Handshake effect

“You cannot tell us about handshake with one person yet at the same time you are trying hard to break the unity with the Deputy President…it cannot work,” Murkomen said.

Sudi who has in the recent past not shied off taking the President head-on key issues facing the country told him to stop hiding around his handshake with Raila Odinga and publicly state if he was tired with Ruto.

“Mr. President, I want to you come out and tell Ruto to his face that you no longer need him because you cannot be creating nonexistent stories as to paint him negatively in the public eye,” Sudi stated.

The outspoken legislator noted “Uhuru must know we have no problem with his tribesmen at all…we are working well with them but should he continue allowing himself to be driven a

Noting they had nothing to celebrate about the much hyped handshake as the Kalenjin community and Rift valley region, the leaders said since the entry of Odinga there has been ripples within the Jubilee family which they noted was unnecessary.

“While we thought the handshake was a unifying factor for all leaders from all the political divides we feel it is a tool for political conmanship and witch-hunt,” said Murkomen.

And, while citing the ongoing probe on construction of dams in the region, Murkomen noted that such was a ploy to deny the residents economic projects.

Delayed projects

He claimed there was a plot to revoke the projects in the region and take them to their regions in a bid to try and create political revolt against the Deputy President in his backyard.

He said the proposed Sh20 billion water project in Bomet which has failed to take off for the last three years was being delayed deliberately.

“It cannot be projects in Rift valley alone has questions yet those in other regions have no issues at all…we know the game they are playing, these are politics of 2022,” he added.

He told Uhuru: “If you have a fight with William Ruto please face the man head on, leave the people alone, leave community projects alone…we will not allow our people to suffer or the politics that will undermine the development projects of our people.”

Murkomen, however, told the President that it would not be as easy as he thinks to rubbish throw Ruto of the game.

Revoke handshake

The leaders were speaking at Kaporuso in Bomet east during the burial of Collins Kipyegon Kones, son of area MP Beatrice Kones.

Present were Bomet governor Joyce Laboso, former governor Isaac Rutto and more than 20 legislators from the region were present.

Laboso said if the handshake between Raila and Uhuru was causing problems in the Jubilee party then, “let us just do away with it”.

Bomet central MP Ronald Tonui said it was a matter of time before truth comes to light on the intention of the handshake deal.

Kericho senator Aaron Cheruiyot on his part said, “If there is a group which this handshake has disfavored is the DP and the Kalenjin community at large,”

He added that it was wrong for Uhuru to forge a common ground with Odinga at the expense of his Deputy who had all along supported him.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *