Governor Isaac Ruto vows to turn tables on Deputy President William Ruto in battle for Rift

Bomet Governor Isaac Ruto addresses the public who turned up to receive him at Mulot trading centre. Politicians in Rift Valley have warned the Jubilee Party (JP) to ignore Bomet Governor Isaac Ruto and his Chama Cha Mashinani (CCM) outfit at its peril. (PHOTO: GILBERT KIMUTAI /STANDARD)

Politicians in Rift Valley have warned the Jubilee Party (JP) to ignore Bomet Governor Isaac Ruto and his Chama Cha Mashinani (CCM) outfit at its peril.

The leaders say the governor is quickly gaining influence in Deputy President William Ruto’s backyard, building on the support of  disgruntled leaders unhappy with the DP ever since he allowed the United Republican Party (URP) to be dissolved and merged with JP.

When he returned from South Africa last week where he had gone for treatment following an injuring sustained during a bust up with the police, the governor received a red carpet welcome with thousands of supporters lining the streets in a show of solidarity.

His homecoming rally at New Bomet IAAF Stadium attracted one of the largest crowds in recent times.

This was a signal to his rival Joyce Laboso, who wants to unseat him next year, and the DP of his growing clout. The governor has not shied away from blaming the Jubilee administration for his recent  injury by police and has repeatedly  accused the State of violently disrupting  CMM activities.

And if Governor Ruto’s homecoming is anything to go by, then Jubilee should brace itself for a bruising battle in Bomet and the larger South Rift region.

The presence of top opposition leaders led by Wiper’s Kalonzo Musyoka and Musalia Mudavadi of Amani National Congress during Ruto’s homecoming rally at New Bomet IAAF Stadium sent out a strong message regarding the governor’s resolve to take on Jubilee and possibly block its influence in the South Rift. Baringo Senator Gideon Moi also attended the ceremony.

The show of solidarity was quite evident the day before the homecoming where jubilant supporters took to the streets in Ntulele area, Narok, and Mulot all the way up to Bomet town where the governor was joined by a convoy of 150 cars and 2,000 boda boda riders.

JP leaders at the grassroots are already getting jittery at  Governor Ruto’s growing influence, and their worries were sounded out by former Roads minister Franklin Bett. The former Roads minister has already questioned JP’s rationale in selecting Laboso as the party’s presidential campaign pointman in the South Rift and said it was a gross miscalculation.

He said this has  played into the hands of Governor Ruto’s CCM party and Kanu  who have already received defectors from JP.

“CCM has made serious inroads in Bomet. They won the Nyongores ward seat in a hotly contested election despite the Jubilee administration have mobilised its massive machinery. Kanu is significantly covering ground in Baringo and West Pokot. The two parties will upset the ruling coalition in the next election if they do not up their game,” said Bett.

He said Governor Ruto’s influence among the Kipsigis was growing.

“Jubilee had to sweat to win the Kericho senatorial by-election. This could easily be replicated in wards, constituencies, and county seats not only in Kipsigis land but beyond. Isaac Ruto is currently sowing the seeds of discord within Jubilee,” said Bett.

The governor, who had all along maintained he had no problem with President Uhuru Kenyatta being re-elected, recently called for a regime change, saying the Jubilee administration was out to silence its critics.

It is not only Bett who is seeing trouble ahead for Jubilee. Emurua Dikirr MP Johanna Ng’eno said Jubilee should brace itself for a serious challenge to its dominance in the South Rift.

“As a region we will send a strong message through the ballot that we are not happy with the way we are being treated by this regime,” said Ng’eno.

Political analysts have taken note of Governor Ruto’s growing clout. Dr Adams Oloo, the head of Political Science and Public Administration department at the University of Nairobi, said the Bomet governor can no longer be ignored in Rift Valley’s political formation.

“You cannot wish away Isaac Ruto, he is shaping himself as a Kipsigis leader, his clout seems to be increasing, largely in parts of Narok and Kericho,” he said.

Dr Oloo observes that while former President Daniel Moi’s influence on Kalenjin communities remained intact for many decades, the DP’s control will be more short term.

“The Deputy President used the International Criminals Court case against him and the Mau Forest evictions to solidify his support but his grip is gradually been chipped away by Kanu’s Gideon Moi and Isaac Ruto and it will be difficult for him (Ruto) to have the undivided support again in future,” added Oloo.

Ruto currently has 14 MCAs under his CCM party in the Bomet County Assembly.

“When URP was swallowed I decided to form CCM so that all those disgruntled by the move would find a home,” said Ruto.

Notably, Isaac Ruto’s bid to have the Kipsigis chart their won political course is not the first attempt. In the 1980s and later 90s, former MPs Isaac Salat and Kipkalya Kones tried to steer the Kipsigis nation away from Kanu but their attempts were unsuccessful.