URP plans crisis talks as infighting deepens in its Rift Valley bedrock

By JACOB NGÉTICH

The United Republican Party (URP), arguably the third largest political outfit, has finally come out of a deep ‘political slumber’, with a NEC meeting scheduled for Tuesday.

However, the move has been described by some within the party as too little too late, given the wide cracks within the top URP leadership.

A section of party MPs feel the differences between party leader William Ruto and Bomet Governor Isaac Ruto, who is also the Chairman of the Council of Governors, would have been nipped in the bud early enough had the party machinery remained active.

By virtue of his seniority in politics and position as chair of governors, the Bomet Governor stands out as the second strongest politician in the URP family after the DP.

But as political wars intensify between the two, Ruto has lately gone out in the open to hit at the Deputy President, describing him as an impediment to devolution.

“If the party machinery had moved to unite the two, we could not be seeing strained relations that have now played out openly, embarrassing the party membership to the core,” said Shadrack Moimet, a political commentator.

But Kericho Senator Charles Ketter and a key ally of Ruto downplayed the difference between the two, accusing  the Bomet Governors of mischief.

“The conflict between the Bomet Governor and the DP is not a party issue. He has taken as his business to accuse the Deputy President every time he has an opportunity,” said Keter.

Time out

The party Executive Director and former Mosop MP David Koech said URP had big plans and would start aggressive activities after the NEC meeting.

“What we have now are proposals that we have worked on that will take the party to great heights. We are waiting for the proposals to be discussed and approved by the National Executive Council meeting slated for to March 4,” said Koech.

Since the last General Election, URP members have held one NEC and Governing Council meeting in the party office in Nairobi and a Parliamentary Group meeting on September in Naivasha last year where more than 35 MPs attended.

In the last election, the Deputy President’s party got 75 members of the National Assembly, 13 senators and 10 governors across the country and hundreds of Members of the County Assembly, making it the third largest party after ODM and TNA.

In the recent allocation of the Political Parties Fund, URP is among the three political parties that qualified to get the monies and was allocated Sh28 million. However, the Executive Director said the party was still expecting Sh12 million from the presidential fund as part of the share to the party.

Wide reach

He said URP has wide network across the country, with representation in the Coast, North Eastern, Eastern, Nyanza, Western and its bedrock Rift Valley and would use the funds to expand its operations across the country to ensure it was accepted countrywide.

“Out of Nairobi and Mt Kenya regions, URP remains the party with a wide network in the country after ODM but after all our activities, the strategy is to be the largest party in the country. I urge you to watch this space, we will do it,” said Koech.

Koech said the party has been carryout out its activities quietly without seeking much media attention, including NEC meetings, and the last Parliamentary Group meeting in Naivasha late last year.

One of the challenges for the party is that its national leaders have taken a back seat after the General Election, thereby grounding the running of the outfit, which is a parner in the Jubilee Coalition.

Party chairman and former National Assembly Speaker Francis Ole Kaparo and its Secretary General Fred Muteti have not been actively involved in the operations of the party for several months after they gave a hard hitting party position against calls for a referendum to raise the percentage of funds allocated to the counties.

The party then declared that Bomet Governor Isaac Ruto’s active push for a referendum was a different from the position of the party and said that he was not articulating the party position.

“The Bomet Governor is not campaigning for a referendum as a URP member but as Chairman of the Governors Council,” said Kaparo.

Koech said the national elections for the party would take place in the next financial year and that the opportunity will give it chance to renergise.

Kericho Women Representative Helen Chepkwony said the party members were yet to meet to seek the way forward regarding many key issues arising.

Way forward

“We have not met, but given that issues have risen over time, I believe reconciliation is the only way forward,” said Chepkwony.

Last month a group of leaders from South Rift lead by Kericho Senator Keter appealed to the Deputy President and the Bomet Governor Isaac Ruto to work together for the benefit of the residents of the region.

The leaders drawn from Kericho, Bomet, Narok and Nakuru counties said the two leaders should politically complement each other instead of fighting each other. The leaders were senators Keter (Kericho), Wilfred Lessan (Bomet), Liza Chelule (Nominated) MPs Benard Bett (Bomet East), Johana Ngeno (Emurua Dikirr), Paul Bii (Chepalungu), Joyce Laboso (Sotik) Leonard Sang (Bureti), former MPs Nick Salat and Beatrice Kones.

Speaking in Kembu, Bomet County, during a fundraiser in aid of traders who lost their property to an inferno two weeks ago, the leaders called on the two unite their supporters to avoid a split in URP. Keter said the region stands to benefit a lot if the two leaders speak with one voice.

“We are in a ruling coalition and we are not going to allow any of these two leaders to go to the opposition. We did not get anything in the last coalition,” said Keter.