UASIN-GISHU COUNTY: Recent visits by Deputy President (DP) William Ruto to the South Rift region is clear indication that the United Republic Party (URP) leader is keen on reaching out to perceived political rivals to stem growing rebellion in the party.

The DP on three occasions in less than a month held meetings in Narok, Kericho and Bomet counties in an attempt to stem the growing dissent among URP leaders and their supporters.

Ruto has been forced to fight off relentless criticism of the political outfit that is the 50/50 power sharing arrangement between URP and TNA in the Jubilee Government, which his critics feel has been in favour of TNA.

Delicate balancing

The DP is said to have lost touch with his supporters and is now using a section of Jubilee senators and members of the National Assembly in fighting “uncooperative” governors in the Rift Valley region.

But those backing the DP say he has the duty of undertaking a delicate balancing act of placating President Uhuru Kenyatta’s supporters who he (Ruto) expects will back his bid for presidency if he remains calm and avoids rocking the Jubilee boat.

A group of legislators from the region have backed the DP’s decision and his political nemesis, the Bomet Governor Isaac Ruto to bury their differences.

When he toured Bomet County last Sunday Ruto prevailed upon his erstwhile rival to tone down on his abrasive manner of pushing for more resources to the counties.

Insiders told The Standard on Sunday that at Siongiroi in Chepalungu Constituency last Sunday, the DP held a closed door meeting with Governor Ruto, who is also the Council of Governors chairman and called for a truce.

“The DP asked the Governor to tone down his persistent attacks on the Jubilee Government, which he said had given advantage to the opposition,” said a politician close to the two leaders.

Later, while addressing a public meeting at The Holy Family Girls’ School, the two leaders pledged to work together.

According to local leaders, the wrangles in URP have provided fodder for the opposition to undermine the Jubilee administration and portray the DP as losing grip of his political base in the region.

But as the DP moved to contain the raging political storm in his backyard, fiery Nandi Hills MP Alfred Keter was in a meeting with some CORD leaders in Kisumu County ostensibly to plot against the URP leader.

The rebel URP leaders resolved to pull out of the party, hence a statement by Mr Keter that unless the Kalenjin’s are given their rightful share in the Government, they would defect from URP.

In a recent interview, Emgwen MP Elijah Langat said a number of lawmakers in URP were solidly behind Keter leaving the party.

Although the DP has gone out of his way to reach out to the disgruntled leaders, Keter acknowledges that Ruto’s reputation in the region is at risk and insists that the community that supported him may soon part ways if he won’t change.

“We are ready to part ways if he is not willing to change. He brings Aden Daule (National Assembly Majority leader) in Rift Valley to abuse people and whenever it happens, he keeps quiet.

We have had strategy meeting and we are going to make good our threats,” said Keter.

Towards the end of May, the DP Ruto toured Kericho County where 32 Members of the County Assembly had impeached Governor Paul Chepkwony in a move critics said was orchestrated by some Jubilee senators and MPs.

Aware of the political backlash that might have come about if Chepkwony was to lose his seat, three days before the Senate Committee deliberated on the impeachment of the Governor, Ruto visited the county and assured residents that the issue would be sorted out and that the Governor was safe.

True to his words Governor Chepkwony survived the impeachment after the Senate ruled that the allegations leveled against him by the MCAs did not warrant his removal from office.

Early this week, in yet another effort to calm the political restlessness, Ruto’s allies moved swiftly to stop constant bashing of the DP in a local vernacular radio stations.

Callers to a morning breakfast programme in the radio station that broadcasts in Kalenjin had not spared the Deputy President, forcing his allies to host some 18 villagers from different parts of the region for a luncheon at a Nairobi hotel.

According to insiders who attended the meeting, the DP had found it increasingly difficult to endure daily criticism from his supporters and was reaching out to them.

Pastor Jonathan Rono, a close political ally of the Bomet Governor, said the DP was going the extra mile at stopping his rapidly dwindling reputation in Kalenjin counties.

“The frequent callers have set the political agenda for the Kalenjin in public barazas, markets and on social media, and the DP thought it wise to out rightly purchase the loyalty of the callers who have earned fame on air through their relentless criticism of the Jubilee coalition,” said Rono. The perception in Rift Valley is that more public jobs in Government were being awarded to TNA at the expense of URP.

The Kalenjin see the DP as having been reduced to an observer, and only becomes relevant when being misused to lead unpopular Government programmes such as the Operation Usalama Watch.

Just like MPs Keter, Zakayo Cheruiyot and the Bomet Governor, many ordinary URP supporters have in recent weeks openly advocated for URP to walk out of its coalition with TNA. Majority of the locals claim TNA is undermining URP, and that DP Ruto is seemingly taking sides with TNA.

But Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi says all is not lost, arguing that the DP is undertaking a delicate balancing act of placating President Uhuru’s supporters who he expects will back his bid for presidency if he maintains calm and does not rock the Jubilee boat.

Constructive criticism

Kuresoi South MP Zakayo Cheruiyot is often of the opinion that the URP leader must listen to the people who voted for Jubilee and elected leaders from the region.

He says the URP leadership should stop undermining elected leaders speaking their mind and instead listen to constructive criticism and act on the issues raised.

But other MPs from the region say the DP should be given time to serve Kenyans, as the infighting within URP will distract him and make Jubilee approach the next General Election a disjointed outfit.

“The decision is welcome. We cannot confront the next General Election as a disjointed outfit because if we don’t fix it now, the problems bedeviling the party will swell and we might not be able to sort it out,” says Patrick Ntutu, the Narok West MP who accompanied the DP in last Sunday’s meeting with the Governor. South Rift leaders, he adds, should speak with one voice the way they have been doing in the past, saying there is need for the Governor to respect elected leaders like the DP and MPs if he wants recognition.

Mr Ntutu says: “The DP is the symbol of unity in the Rift Valley and all leaders, whether elected or nominated should respect him.”

His Emurwa Dikir counterpart Johana Ngeno says all politicians are equal in the eyes of the electorate, adding that there is need for the DP and Ruto to work together for unity of the Kalenjin’s and development in their land.

“I hope the pact will last for the benefit of the people of South Rift and the Kalenjin nation. We are for the reconciliation and anybody who will drive another wedge between us will not be tolerated,” he says.

Mr Ngeno, who was elected as an independent candidate but is sympathetic to URP claims that ambitions burning inside Issack Ruto were responsible for the differences he has had with the DP and other leaders who are opposed to his leadership style and advises him to bid his time until when he will be elected to a senior position.

“He should be patient the way the DP was before his elevation in the last General Election. He should not hold the Kalenjin and their leaders to ransom in his raw ambition to ascend to greater heights of politics,” he adds.

The two MPs’ sentiments have been supported by Narok South MP Korei Lemein and his Narok East counterpart Ken Kiloku who see burying the political hatchet as the move that would see URP speak as one in matters affecting its supporters.

“We hail the move. We know the DP is serious about what he is doing. He should strive to work with other leaders with the hindsight that the DP vigorously campaigned for him in the last polls,” says Mr Lemein.