South Rift leaders intensify lobbying for cabinet slots

Former Bomet Governor Isaac Ruto during a rally at Kapkatet in Kericho on September 8. He dumped NASA after the August 8 election to campaign for Jubilee for the repeat presidential election on October 26 . [File, Standard]

Lobbying for Cabinet positions in the Jubilee government has intensified with some South Rift leaders calling on President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto to ensure regional and ethic balance.

A cross section of leaders from Kericho, Nakuru, Bomet and Narok counties, have said even after voting overwhelmingly for UhuRuto in 2013, they were only allocated two slots in the current Cabinet.

They want more Cabinet positions.

Speaking to the Sunday Standard on telephone, Chepalungu MP Gideon Koskei said former Bomet Governor Isaac Ruto must be honoured for agreeing to dump NASA and join Jubilee after the August 8 General Election.

“The former governor sacrificed his political ambition to ensure that President Kenyatta and Ruto get maximum support in the South Rift region in the repeat presidential elections,” Koskei said.

At their own peril

The legislator noted that the former governor is still a key political player in the region and Jubilee should ignore him at their own peril.

Cabinet Secretaries from the region are Charles Keter (Energy) and Philis Kandie (Labour) while Principal Secretaries are John Musonik (Infrastructure), Julius Korir (Industry & Enterprise Development) and Dr Andrew K Tuimur (Livestock).

However, the region was generously rewarded with appointments in State corporations for positions of board chairmen and directors.

In Nakuru County, elected leaders led by Governor Lee Kinyanjui have been lobbying for two CS and PS positions.

The leaders were scheduled to meet the President on Thursday last week after he attended the the commissioning of cadets at the Kenya Military Academy.

But Mr Kinyanjui said the meeting failed to take place because of the president’s tight schedule.

More Cabinet slots

The president reportedly held talks with the leaders on Friday but Sunday Standard could not independently confirm the same.

On Friday, Kenyatta was at the World Ploughing Contest in Ngongengeri farm in Njoro.

Bahati MP Kimani Ngunjiri said the county has been voting for Jubilee Party as the bloc and deserves more slots in the Cabinet and foreign service.

“Nakuru County has always been voting for the Jubilee party and I think the president should considered this county in his Government,” he said.

The last leader from the county who served in the Cabinet is Governor Kinyanjui, when he was Nakuru town MP.

In Kericho County, Jubilee legislators have endorsed the retention of Keter in the Government.

Belgut MP Nelson Koech and his Bureti counterpart Japeth Mutai noted that the last mile electricity connectivity programme under the Energy CS’s docket persuaded Kenyans to vote for UhuRuto.

Speaking separately to Sunday Standard, the two leaders said the region deserves two Cabinet slots for voting overwhelming for Jubilee.

Mr Mutai said the Deputy President should have his eyes on 2022 even as helps the president to form the Government.

“The DP should know that the Cabinet appointment will make or break his 2022 ambition. “He should have that in mind when picking the nominees,” he said.