Governor Isaac Ruto tells URP to stop interfering

Council of Governors Chairman (CoG) Isaac Ruto has told the United Republican Party (URP) to stop interfering in the running of county assemblies in the party's strongholds.

Mr Ruto claimed the party was dictating to the assemblies who they should pick as majority leaders and committee chairpersons, saying this was causing an unnecessary rift between leaders in various counties.

Speaking at the official launch of Bomet Water Company in Bomet town on Friday, Ruto said the law had empowered each county assembly to choose committee members without undue interference from the national office of any political party.

"We read this as an attempt to frustrate devolution and want to warn those who have appointed committee members to stop this mischief. The party's top leadership should stop stoking embers of disunity in the party," he said.

The governor said the party could pick majority and minority leaders, committee chairpersons, chief whips and their deputies for the National Assembly and the Senate but they should leave the county branch leadership to handle the assemblies.

Ruto cited the case of Nandi where the party office had interfered in the selection of committee chairpersons and dictated who should be the appointed against a list that had been picked and approved by the party's county leadership and the assembly members.

NOT HAPPY

"URP leadership should stop this intolerance and open its doors for the full tenets of democracy to take root to avoid a backlash from its members as the country inches toward the next General Election," he said.

Ruto said the CoG would write to the Registrar of Political Parties to register their dissatisfaction.

"Every county assembly should be allowed to manage their own affairs without interference from the party's headquarters. If this does not stop, we as party members will demand a National Delegates Council meeting," he said.