Hired hecklers, ODM-UDA supremacy battles rock Ruto's Nyanza tour

President William Ruto speaking at Jua Kali, Kisumu City. [Michael Mute, Standard]

The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party’s push for zoning in Nyanza is facing a stern test and risks collapsing as President William Ruto’s visit to the region yesterday exposed the frailties in the union with the UDA party.

Yesterday, the supremacy contest between the two parties was glaring, as a subtle contest to win hearts played out in the open as Ruto presided over events in Kisumu County.

This came as sibling rivalries among ODM luminaries eyeing similar seats rocked the president's visit, as governor hopefuls for the Kisumu governorship seat were subjected to heckling by a section of the attendees.

In nearly all the stops that the president made yesterday, mobs dressed in matching UDA outfits, including yellow caps, dominated events within Kisumu’s CBD as ODM also branded their delegates.

Sources told The Standard that the heavy branding of attendees by the President’s party was a signal of the party’s incursions in the region.

While addressing residents, ODM Deputy Party leader Simba Arati maintained that the region will remain firmly under the Orange party even as they work together with the president’s UDA party to help him secure a second term.

“As the deputy party leader, I want to see ODM stable. Even friendly fire pains. Even friendly fire pains. President William Ruto, here in Nyanza, we don’t want mixed politics. ODM is stable, and please stay in ODM,” said Arati.

Sources told The Standard that the intense UDA branding of the event was done by the president’s foot soldiers as part of the efforts to embolden UDA’s grassroots network in the region.

The development puts ODM in an awkward position as scores of its leaders were subjected to boos by alleged hired hecklers. In Muhoroni constituency, Nyakach MP and governorship hopeful Aduma Owuor was forced to cut short his speech as attendees heckled him.

President William Ruto speaking at Jua Kali, Kisumu City. [Michael Mute, Standard]

Similarly, Kisumu Central MP Joshua Oron, another leader eyeing the governorship, was also subjected to hostilities from the crowd in Nyamasaria.

During his speech, however, President Ruto maintained that ODM will work together with UDA to transform the country.

Ruto said the Government was working with both UDA and ODM to unite Kenyans and ensure development projects continued, dismissing claims that his administration had failed to deliver.

“All projects that were stalled are now on. Contractors are back, housing projects are on, hostels and markets too. This is what we want,” he said.

He also cited agriculture, education, health and security infrastructure as areas where his administration had invested, saying the broad-based arrangement was intended to bring communities together rather than divide them along tribal lines.

“As a broad-based Government, we will organise and unite all tribes. We will not have discrimination. There will be no tribal politics. In 2027, we will vote and unite all people, with no hate,” he said.

Ruto said his government had prioritised roads, water, health, education, housing and other infrastructure projects in Kisumu, insisting that contractors had returned to construction sites after years of stalled projects.

“I have come to bring development to this region and I am doing this without discrimination. We have Sh23 billion to build roads, with nine new roads ongoing here in Kisumu County,” said Ruto.

The President spoke after launching the construction of the 12-kilometre Rabuor-Chiga Road in Nyando Constituency. The Sh962 million project is expected to provide an alternative link between Kondele and the Kisumu-Ahero Road at Rabuor Market and is scheduled to take one year to complete.

Ruto said the Government had allocated Sh23 billion for eight new roads covering 270 kilometres. “When I entered this Government, the roads were empty and no construction was going on. Now contractors are back. We want to grow the economy; we do not want poverty in our nation,” he said.

The President also commissioned the Sh8.4 billion Lake Victoria Water and Sanitation Project in Kisumu City, which will connect an additional 53,000 households to reliable water and 23,000 households to sewerage services.

In Chemelil, Ruto inspected ongoing works on the Chemelil-Muhoroni Junction Road, a Sh5.7 billion project that forms part of the wider Sh15.7 billion Kisumu-Chemelil-Muhoroni-Kipsitet road upgrade being implemented in three phases.

The road is expected to improve connectivity between Kisumu and Kericho counties and ease movement of people and goods between the two regions.

Ruto, however, used the development tour to attack the opposition, accusing its leaders of lacking an economic agenda and opposing Government programmes without offering alternatives.

“To you people in the opposition, your mind is not there. You are down. Let us teach them economics because they are still down,” Ruto said.

He particularly defended the affordable housing programme, questioning what opportunities would be available for young people if the initiative was stopped.

The President also used the tour to defend his record in education, saying his administration had hired more than 100,000 teachers to address shortages in schools.

He said more than 23,000 teachers had been recruited specifically to support the Competency-Based Curriculum, while the Government had also changed the funding model for universities and Technical and Vocational Education and Training institutions.

Ruto said the changes were intended to make education more accessible and ensure institutions remained financially sustainable.

At Jua Kali in Kisumu, during his fifth stop, Ruto pledged to allocate five acres of land from a Kenya Railways parcel for the construction of a conducive working environment for Jua Kali artisans.

He said the Government would also provide Sh200 million to support the construction of workshops, arguing that the initiative would give artisans a permanent space to conduct their businesses.

“For Jua Kali artisans, we will ensure these windows are given to them. You are in business and I want to ensure we give you five acres of railway land and Sh200 million to build your workshop so that you can carry out your business well without anyone disturbing you,” he said.

Ruto said the projects formed part of his administration’s broader plan to stimulate the local economy, create jobs and improve infrastructure in Kisumu.

Meanwhile, Suna East MP Junet Mohamed said ODM leaders would not join the political camp associated with former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, insisting that the party would work with Ruto ahead of the 2027 General Election.

“There is no day we can join Rigathi Gachagua’s team. There is this team called Linda Sponsor, which is sponsored by former President Uhuru Kenyatta. There are people who did not vote for Raila Odinga during his election and now they want us to join them to vote against Ruto. That is something we cannot do,” said Junet.

He said ODM would support Ruto for another term while calling for an end to tribal politics and urging communities to remain united.