DP William Ruto to tour Kericho amid unease

From left: Bomet Governor Isaac Ruto, Kericho Kanu senatorial candidate Paul Sang, Nyongores Ward MCA-elect Andrew Maritim and Kanu Secretary General Nick Salat during the Peoples Patriotic Party of Kenya celebrations for Maritim's win at the Bomet Green Stadium yesterday. [PHOTO: GILBERT KIMUTAI/STANDARD]

Deputy President William Ruto is expected in Kericho County tomorrow. The visit comes slightly over a week to the Senate by-election.

Ruto’s two-day tour is being seen as a renewed effort to defend the Senate seat, which is now under threat of loss to Kanu.

But some locals have criticised the performance of the Jubilee government and are gearing up to raise a number of issues with the DP.

The tour comes at a time Jubilee is facing growing political rebellion in South Rift, where Bomet Governor Isaac Ruto has joined Kanu, led by Baringo Senator Gideon Moi, in an alliance aimed at forging a third political force in the vote rich-Rift Valley.

The political excitement in the county was ignited by the defeat of the Jubilee Alliance Party candidate in the neighbouring Bomet County, where a new party won the Nyongores Ward by-election last Friday.

According to the DP’s Director of Communications David Mugonyi, Ruto will be in the county on Wednesday to discuss with local opinion leaders the proposed road map to drive the region’s economy.

“He is set to host some local leaders from the six constituencies to discuss development matters,” said Mugonyi.

He, however, could not give a complete itinerary of the DP, only saying the programme was being worked on. The Standard learned that the DP would inaugurate the construction of the Sotil-Cheborgei-Roreti-Sigowet road and the Litein-Cheborgei section during the tour.

 Political Tide

Leaders privy to the visit said the DP will on Friday commission the construction of Premier-Taplotin road, whose contract has already been awarded. He will also inaugurate Kipchim-Ainamoi-Muhoroni road, where a contractor is already on site.

Jubilee has been rattled by an emerging political alliance between Kanu, Governor Ruto’s Mashinani Development Party-Kenya and the People’s Patriotic Party of Kenya, which won the Nyongores ward by-election.

On Monday, the by-election campaign chairman Benjamin Langat confirmed the DP will be in Kericho tomorrow. “The DP is scheduled to hold consultative meetings with various stakeholders and opinion leaders. The meeting will be held at the Tea Research Foundation conference facilities,” said Langat.

There has been a perception that the popularity of Kanu candidate Paul Sang is rising compared to that of JAP candidate Aaron Cheruiyot.

But Kuresoi South MP Zakayo Cheruiyot said the DP’s meeting with local leaders was ‘too little too late’. “What the people of South Rift wanted from the day they elected Jubilee was development. It does not make any sense for the DP to come on a fire-fighting mission when the State has failed to honour the pledges it made to the people who voted for it,” he said.

Cheruiyot, who has joined Governor Ruto, MPs Alfred Keter (Nandi Hills) and Johanna Ngeno (Emurua Dikirr) in criticising the performance of Jubilee government, said the political tide in South Rift has changed and it would take the DP more than a two-day tour to convince locals that State was serious in addressing issues affecting them.

“The DP has let what started as a disappointment to grow into a rebellion. He reduced some leaders in the South Rift to sycophants - letting one leader to be in charge of the entire region instead of bringing all of us together,” Cheruiyot said when reached for a comment.

However, Langat expressed confidence that Jubilee would retain the seat. “We are going to conduct a thorough campaign. We are asking residents to support and pray for our candidate,” he said.

Myoot Kipsigis Council of Elders Chairman Paul Leleito said the elders had for the last two years attempted to meet the DP in vain.”The elders have several issues and concerns they would liked to raise with him and we hope we will be formally invited to the Wednesday’s meeting,” he said.