Cheruiyot: Ruto's court poet who weeps more than the bereaved

Aaron Cheruiyot, the 'distinguished' Senator for Kericho, is a diminutive man. His shortcomings, no pun intended, do not come in the way of him making his presence felt. Cheruiyot is mostly loud and leaves a trail of bravado in his wake. He can decide to be smart, as he often does when he is preaching sobriety to his colleagues during heated debates. Sometimes he prefers to be the opposite and wears sycophancy like a badge of honour. He has the walking style of someone who thinks of himself to be very important, perhaps, rightfully so, as he leads the Kenya Kwanza troops in the Senate. As the Majority Leader, Cheruiyot assumes big shoes. He walks in equally sized 'sharpshooters,' which would fit a giant better. If you ever hope to catch the good senator in Bunge, seek the man who walks with the swagger of a WWE wrestler making their way to the ring. With hands ever flailing, Cheruiyot takes big steps that make him look like someone jumping over puddles of water. Sometimes his head bobs up and down. Given his size, he mostly has to look up to other people. There is no doubt that Cheruiyot looks up to President William Ruto, a man he has dedicated his voice to defending. He is always at hand to shield Bwana Hustler aka Zakayo alias Kasongo from criticism, even when the President does not seem to mind. To plagiarise National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang'ula, "Papa wa Roma himuselefu", Cheruiyot, and others of his ilk, have a liking for "weeping more than the bereaved." This past week, Cheruiyot expressed his frustrations at the media, who he believes should have a limit to what they can write about the President. The 39-year-old swears to be a journalist. He does not claim to be the finest, but argues that courtesy of his degree in Language and Literary Studies, he knows enough journalism to know when the "rules have been suspended." "What I am reading in the media, that is not journalism anymore," Cheruiyot cried during the funeral of John Koech, a former Minister, on Tuesday. It would be interesting to hear from the good senator what the rules are and whether they dictate whatever the media can say about anyone, not just Bwana Rais. And while at it, the new editor-at-large of all media houses should also give clear directions on whether they require journalists to seek prior approval before publishing critical stories. In case they do, then I must apologise that I might not send this article to the senator for his okay before it ends up on the pages of Kenya's Bold newspaper, which has, seemingly, rattled authorities with its unbiased reporting. Cheruiyot would rant on, crying that the media has made news about "ridiculing" the President because they "hate" him, which, perhaps, explains why the State has been treating the Fourth Estate like its enemy. As Cheruiyot offered Journalism 101 lessons, the Communication Authority threatened to revoke the Standard's license over some unpaid dues. Never mind the government owes the Bold 20 times the figure it is seeking. Cheruiyot knows the media is not an enemy, but speaking politics as fluently as he does, he must portray himself as a victim. Needless to say, politicians need the Press more than the Press needs them. It is no wonder they run to the Press whenever the tables turn on them, as they most certainly do for either side of the divide. Cheruiyot rose to the Senate in 2016 through a by-election. He swelled with the revolutionary spirit common with university student leaders. At the Moi University, where he was schooled, Cheruiyot unsuccessfully sought the chairperson's position. His election into the Senate at 29 brought a sense of hope among young prospective politicians. He spoke like revolutionaries do, preaching change, but quickly learnt that controversy would earn him a seat at the high table. Sometime in 2022, he was grilled by the National Cohesion and Integration Commission over suspected racial profiling, when he said that the then Kesses Member of Parliament, Swarup Mishra, should go back home to Punjab. "Those who don't agree with William Ruto say he should go back to Sugoi. Those who don't agree with Raila say he should go back to Bondo," he explained. Of course, few bought this, but being the toothless dogs the NCIC are, the matter died down. Since former President Uhuru Kenyatta's fallout with Ruto, Cheruiyot earned his stripes in the Hustler Defence Forces, which saw him elevated to his current role at the Senate. His major role involves telling his master whatever he wants to hear and branding critics "haters."

Cheruiyot: Ruto's court poet who weeps more than the bereaved

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Cheruiyot: Ruto's court poet who weeps more than the bereaved

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