Jitters in Rift Valley as William Ruto downplays calls to contest against Uhuru Kenyatta in 2017

Deputy President William Ruto (left) handshakes Nakuru Couty Deputy Gvr, Mr. Joseph Rotich on his arrival at Keringet Boys High School. The DP was the chief guest during a fund raising for the School.

Deputy President William Ruto’s repeated proclamations that he will support Uhuru Kenyatta’s presidential re-election bid in 2017 seems to be falling on deaf years in his backyard, with some members of his United Republican Party (URP) insisting that he should partner with others and challenge the Jubilee leader.

Although MPs Elijah Lagat of Emgwen, Zakayo Cheruiyot of Kuresoi and Nandi Hills MP Alfred Keter have in the past been accused of being out of sync with URP’s aspirations, they have not lost an opportunity to impress upon the DP that their counterparts in the Jubilee Alliance, The National Alliance Party (TNA) members, may not support Ruto’s bid in 2022 even though they had pledged that they would.