URP senator says DP Ruto won't contest presidency in 2017

A close ally of Deputy President William Ruto has dismissed United Republican Party (URP) MPs who are lobbying to have the DP vie for the presidency against President Uhuru Kenyatta in the 2017 general election.

Kericho Senator Charles Keter said the remarks reported in a local newspaper attributed to three URP MPs was idle talk calculated to cause mistrust between the Jubilee leaders.

Mr Keter dismissed Alfred Keter (Nandi Hills), Zakayo Cheruiyot (Kuresoi) and Elijah Langat (Emgwen)as political novices.

He said the position of the DP and majority of Rift Valley leaders was that the Deputy President would only vie for the presidency in 2022.

"The group is not even close to the Deputy President. How can they now think they know and can chart Ruto's political direction. The three Members of Parliament are the last people the Deputy President can consult on weighty political matters," he said.

The senator said the Deputy President is on record saying that he is contented with his current position and would back President Kenyatta in the 2017 general election and would only gun for the presidency in the 2022 polls.

"The Deputy President has said so many times that he is solidly behind President Kenyatta and would only vie for the presidency after he (Kenyatta) serves two terms," said Keter.

Keter also asked CORD leader Raila Odinga to quit politics instead of antagonising the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) and threatening to boycott the 2017 presidential election.

He claimed the former Prime Minister was one of the leaders who approved the Isack Hassan-led team and should therefore not turn around and demand a change of the "electoral referee".

Water project

"The former Prime Minister should stop panicking and make demands just to suit his whims. If it has dawned on him that he would not win a fair political contest against President Uhuru Kenyatta and the Deputy President, the honourable thing for him to do is to retire from politics and leave Kenyans to enjoy political calm," said Keter.

Meanwhile, the national government has stepped in to end the perennial water squabbles between Kericho and Bomet counties by sourcing a financier to fund Tililbei Water and Sanitation company's expansion programme to a tune of Sh200 million.

Leonard Sang, the MP for Bureti constituency in Kericho county, said water engineers had already conducted a feasibility study of the project at the company's main water intake at River Itare in Konoin constituency in Bomet county and the works would begin soon.

"Once the project is complete, over 50,000 residents will enjoy uninterrupted water supply and at an affordable rate," said Mr Sang.

Kericho and Bomet counties recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Tililbei and Bomet water and sanitation companies.

Bomet Governor Isaac Ruto and his Kericho counterpart Paul Chepkwony told The Standard that the MoU will see the counties split the cost of electricity for pumping water to Bureti and Sotik constituencies.

"A meter has been placed at the water intake at River Itare so that the counties can determine what proportion of the electricity bill they have to pay," said Mr Ruto.

And Mr Chepkwony said his administration had landed Sh1.7 billion from a donor in Germany and Sh300 million would be set aside for the provision of clean piped water for residents of Bureti constituency.

"An estimated 420,000 Kericho county residents are expected to be connected with clean piped water on completion of a Sh1.7 billion water project funded by the county government and the donor from Germany," he said.