By-election loss not a blow to Ruto

Reports that Deputy President William Ruto’s popularity in Rift Valley is weakening following the defeat of the Jubilee candidate in the just-concluded Nyongores Ward by-election in Bomet County are misleading.

Mr Ruto did not personally take part in the campaigns for anybody to claim that the loss is a blow to him.

It should be clear that many leaders in the region, from MPs to MCA, were elected to their current positions through various political parties but they all supported President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy during the last elections.

What has happened is that Ruto does not engage in chest thumbing kind of politics where people are dictated on the nature of MPs or MCAs to be elected.

This, in essence, means Ruto has given people the space to choose leaders of their choice and this is what has happened in Nyongores.

But what is clear is that residents of the region are firmly behind the leadership of Ruto and Uhuru come 2017 General Election.

As campaigns for the Kericho senatorial seat intensify ahead of the March 7 by-election, there have been claims of malpractice in the nomination process with reports that former Senator Charles Keter, now Cabinet secretary for Energy, preferred Sammy Chepkwony.

However, Aaron Cheruiyot won the Jubilee ticket in a free and fair nomination.

Cheruiyot was not fronted by powerful leaders in Rift Valley.

Candidates who were trounced during the primaries, including Franklin Bett and Magerer Langat, should accept the results and support Cheruiyot.

Voters should refuse to be swayed to vote for candidates aimed at tarnishing the development efforts of the deputy president.

Ruto is still in full control of voters in Rift Valley despite the loss of the Nyongores Ward by-election to the little known Peoples Patriotic Party of Kenya.