Ruto fights to deny Kanu, Mashinani party Rift Valley votes

Deputy President William Ruto (right) with Bomet Governor Isaac Ruto

While the nation has been preoccupied with the Jubilee Party factional wrangles, the fight over control of the Rift Valley region is on.

Deputy President William Ruto has taken the battle for the control of the region’s votes to Kanu and Bomet Governor Isaac Ruto’s Chama Cha Mashinani (CCM) strongholds.

The two have been making inroads, especially in Baringo and Bomet after the dissolution of DP Ruto’s United Republican Party (URP).

In the past two months, the DP has made forays to Baringo, Bomet and Kericho counties in a bid to quell disquiet among his supporters, following the folding up of URP.

In his trips, the DP has been pointing out key projects the Government has initiated in the region and those lined up, as the 2017 General Election beckons.

This year alone, he has made eight political and development trips to Baringo, the stronghold of Kanu national chairman Gideon Moi, twice accompanied by President Uhuru Kenyatta.

Pundits say Ruto is keen to consolidate his support in the county to stop the Kanu wave slowly sweeping through Baringo and West Pokot counties.

In the last elections, Jubilee lost the Baringo Senate and West Pokot governor and Senate seats to Kanu.

“Mr Ruto feels Jubilee should have done better in the region in 2013, hence his determination to rally voters behind him in 2017,” says Charles Kipkulei, a political scientist.

A lot to do

But Dr Philip Chebunet, another political scientist, says the DP has a lot to do because Kanu and CCM could give him sleepless nights ahead of his planned 2022 presidential bid.

“Isaac Ruto has been in the political arena for a long time and is not someone you can ignore when it comes to political competition. The Mashinani party could thwart Ruto’s influence in the larger Rift Valley region,” he notes.

Lately, the DP seems determined to stamp his influence by ensuring development projects in Baringo get adequate resources to end persistent claims by Kanu diehards that the Jubilee administration has marginalised the region.

When Ruto visited Kabarnet last Friday, apart from announcing projects worth billions of shillings, he promised more trips to the region with one message: “Let us unite for development.” Among the programmes he announced are Sh89.5 billion water projects.

The DP also said the tender was being opened for tarmacking of Karandi-Mochongoi-Marigat road.

“Get it clearly from me, majority of Kenyan voters elected me to work for them and not to take part in beauty contests,” he told a crowd at Kabarnet Boys High School.

The projects include Sh3.5 billion for distribution of water from Chemususu dam, Kimwarer dam (Sh20 billion), Arror dam (Sh30 billion), Radat dam (Sh14 billion) and Sh400 million for tarmacking of roads in Kabarnet town.

As if to stamp his authority, the DP announced a government resolve to convert Baringo Training Institute to the first ever public university in Baringo, clashing with those opposed to the idea.

Senator Moi is championing the intended university to be set up at Chemeron near Marigat.

However, historian Walter Chesang says development should be de-linked from politics, describing Ruto’s several visits as last minute panic over Kanu’s influence.

“There is nothing on the ground for the last 10 years and whatever he pronounces amounts to wild promises.

“The handlers of DP are not helping him either; he has been repeating the same stories for the last six months,” says Chesang.

He notes that residents of Baringo are used to the everyday song by the DP without tangible development.

In the South Rift, Governor Ruto, the CCM party leader, says it is undeniable that frequent trips by the DP to the Central and South Rift show that they are making inroads in Jubilee strongholds.

“Jubilee has panicked. The Deputy President should prepare for a face-off in future,” said the governor, who accused Ruto of being disrespectful.

The DP, however, dismissed Ruto, saying the governor has no clout. “I will not sit back and allow any other party to take control of this region from us.”