No end to rifts in the valley as Rutos' allies spoil for a fight

By Steve Mkawale

Politicians allied to Deputy President William Ruto seeking to unseat Bomet Governor Isaac Ruto now know they have a fight in their hands.

They will have observed that the Governor is no pushover after deftly retaining chairmanship of the Council of Governors after his sponsoring party United Republican Party (URP) abandoned him.

But there has been no let-up in the battle to undermine Governor Ruto. Last week, Deputy President Ruto’s point man in URP Aden Duale visited Kuresoi South constituency and stated publicly that they were taking the fight to the governor. Duale said the governor had been holding ‘secret meetings’ with some leaders in the region with the intention to weaken URP. Duale, also the National Assembly Majority Leader, said Governor Ruto was part of a scheme by CORD to sway Kalenjins to join the Opposition ahead of the 2017 polls.

“Your neighbour in Bomet is working with former Prime Minister Raila Odinga to plot for the 2017 elections,” said Duale when he represented the Deputy President at a function in Kuresoi South constituency last Monday.

“He has been holding night meetings to plot how to weaken URP support in Rift Valley because he has been promised to be Raila’s running mate,” said the Garissa Town MP.

However, the Bomet Governor laughed off suggestions that URP would have him removed from office. “There is nothing new about those claims, I am used to them. Removing a governor from office is no mean feat. And it can’t be done on political whims.”

Ruto argued that a governor was not bound by the provisions of Article 103, which states: “A Member of Parliament can lose his seat if removed from his party.”

He added: “It does not apply to governors. I would continue to serve as governor even if I was expelled from URP.”

Ruto’s argument is that a governor can leave a political party without losing the governor’s seat because he owes his position to those who elected him.

When asked whether he was loyal to the Deputy President and URP, the Bomet Governor replied: “I am not supposed to be loyal to anyone. I am loyal to ideal of a political party I helped to form together with Duale, (Kericho Senator Charles) Keter and the Deputy President.”

Governor Ruto found himself at odds with the Deputy President over his calls to have a national referendum push for a higher allocation of funds to the counties.

His detractors have tried to contain him by using ward representatives and other political heavyweights to silence him and his supporters. URP has enlisted the support of nominated Senator Liz Chelule and Nakuru County Deputy Governor Joseph Ruto and number of nominated ward representatives from the Central and South Rift region to keep supporters of the Bomet Governor in check. Chelule and Ruto (the Nakuru Deputy Governor) have been giving Kuresoi South MP Zakayo Cheruiyot sleepless nights in his backyard over the MP’s frequent attacks on the Deputy President.

Governor’s camp

Cheruiyot is believed to be in the Bomet Governor’s camp, which comprises Kericho Governor Prof Paul Chepkwony and Nandi Hills MP Alfred Keter.

Some leaders have accused the DP of using Senators and MPs to undermine them in their backyard with a larger objective of forestalling any possible challenge to the DP’s grip in Rift Valley.

Recently, Cheruiyot accused the DP of breaching protocol by organising a meeting in Kuresoi when he was away. He said a meeting on January 23 was to diminish his authority even though he and others had been instrumental in the formation of URP.

“We contributed our time and resources to set up the URP campaign for the President and his Deputy and we will not be cowed from speaking the truth. The DP should respect other leaders and earn their respect,” he said.

“Why has the DP been entertaining delegations that have been undermining elected leaders? Why doesn’t he operate in the open?”

Cheruiyot challenged the country’s top leadership to be prepared to work with people with an independent mind. “When leaders disagree with you in principle, it does not mean they want to bring down your government, or they are after your position,” the Kuresoi South MP said.

But the DP’s allies accused rebel leaders of committing political suicide by trying to antagonise the DP in the Rift Valley. “The DP has cut his teeth in politics; he does not take challenges lightly,” said Kipkeleon East MP Joseph Limo. The emerging political battle has created two powerful political figures within the Kalenjin community – both angling for the national leadership.

Governor Ruto’s supporters hold him in high esteem and point out that he occupies a seat that can easily propel to the top leadership

However, Duale dismisses this notion and says the Bomet Governor will end up like former cabinet ministers Franklin Bett, Henry Kosgey, Dr Sally Kosgei, Musa Sirma and Magerer Langat who went against the URP tide in the last General Election.

“Governor Ruto should read the writing on the wall. He can either choose to be part of us or follow in the footstep of other Rift Valley politicians who went against the URP wave,” he said.