Ruto meets South Rift leaders amid discontent

President Uhuru Kenyatta (centre), Deputy President William Ruto (left) and Uasin Gishu County Governor Jackson Mandago during a Thanks Giving function to thank people who voted for the Jubilee Government from the region, held at Eldoret Sports Club on December 16, 2013. Deputy President William Ruto Friday held a closed-door meeting with grassroots leaders from South Rift. PHOTO/JARED NYATAYA 

In Summary

• The meeting, said to have been organised by Kericho Senator Charles Keter, took place at Mr Ruto’s Sugoi home in Uasin Gishu. It brought together senators, elders and county representatives from Kericho, Bomet and Narok.

By Nation Correspondent
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Deputy President William Ruto Friday held a closed-door meeting with grassroots leaders from South Rift as simmering discontent from his Rift Valley backyard threatens to divide his loyalists.

The United Republican Party leader has lately launched a charm offensive in his bastion as he moves to stem dissent over alleged discrimination in government appointments, which threatens to split the nine-month-old Jubilee government.

Similar meetings

The meeting, said to have been organised by Kericho Senator Charles Keter, took place at Mr Ruto’s Sugoi home in Uasin Gishu. It brought together senators, elders and county representatives from Kericho, Bomet and Narok.

This comes only a few days after the Deputy President (right) held similar meetings with North Rift leaders on December 24. He met those from Pokot two days later.

Uasin Gishu Governor Jackson Mandago and his Narok counterpart Samwel Tunai attended yesterday’s meeting. Senator Keter and his Bomet counterpart Wilfred Lesan also attended.

Governors Paul Chepkwony (Kericho) and Isaac Ruto (Bomet), however, failed to attend the meeting.

Sources said discontent recently expressed by some Kalenjin leaders over the recent appointment of parastatal heads and the rising popularity of Nandi Hills MP Alfred Keter are some of the thorny issues the meeting sought to address.

The lawmaker has also claimed that the region is irked by the Jubilee administration’s failure to initiate any development project in Rift Valley since it came to power yet such projects had been launched in other parts of the country.

However, Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen and Ainabkoi MP Samuel Chepkong’a denied that Mr Ruto’s meetings are meant to ease political tensions in the region.