Deputy President William Ruto at Ngeria Girls Secondary School in
Kapsaret Constituency on August 01, 2015. PHOTO | JARED NYATAYA | NATION
MEDIA GROUP
What appeared to be a coordinated two-pronged rebellion facing
Deputy President William Ruto in his Rift Valley stronghold has
considerably waned in recent months, raising questions about the ability
of his critics to launch a credible challenge.
The
DP had for months come under intense pressure from the double attack of
bellicose Bomet Governor Isaac Ruto (URP) on the one hand and Kanu
chairman Gideon Moi on the other. The URP leader has had a firm grip in
the regional politics since the 2007 General Election.
The region was instrumental in delivering the presidency to Jubilee.
PESA MASHINANI
To
complicate matters, Governor Ruto had intensified campaigns for the
Pesa Mashinani referendum seeking more money for counties.
Mr
Moi, the Baringo Senator and son of retired President Daniel arap Moi,
and his Kanu brigade had travelled the region purportedly to address the
concerns of maize farmers aggrieved by the prices offered for their
harvest.
Other politicians like Kericho Governor Paul
Chepkwony (URP), renegade Nandi Hills MP Alfred Keter (URP), Narok
Senator Stephen ole Ntutu (URP) and Kanu Secretary-General Nick Salat
were also defiant.
Since he relinquished the
chairmanship of the Council of Governors to his Meru counterpart Peter
Munya in May, Governor Ruto appears to have slowed down while Mr Moi
also seems to have gone into hibernation.
It is a
coincidence that has raised eye-brows, considering that multiple
interviews with insiders in both camps indicated that no truce was
struck.
Early this year, President Uhuru Kenyatta
stepped in to put out political fires in his deputy’s backyard in two
trips, one to Bomet and the other to Nandi.
In April,
fears of a domino effect in the region prompted the DP to claim that his
opponents were praying that he loses the crimes against humanity
charges he is facing at the International Criminal Court in The Hague to
give them room.
“I have tried with a lot of
difficulties to understand why Isaac and Gideon are fighting me. If you
see the duo, inform them to continue digging the grave for Ruto, but
remind them not to dig deep because they might find themselves inside
the same (hole),” the DP told a public meeting in Njoro, Nakuru County.
He added that the plan to fight him politically would fail.
Observers said this was meant to draw the sympathy of the masses and cool political temperatures.
GOOD STUDENT
At
the same time, some analysts said that the DP was being a good student
of Chinese military general and strategist Sun Tzu who, in the Art of
War, warns against underestimating one’s opponents, thereby going full
throttle for them.
With the governor seemingly taking a
beating from the Jubilee lieutenants, Deputy Speaker and Sotik MP Joyce
Laboso, an ally of the URP boss, appears to be gaining confidence in
her intention to win the Bomet seat in the next elections.
The
DP’s right hand man and Kericho Senator Charles Keter (URP) attributes
the “slow-down gear” to “hostile reception on the ground”. “These people
have lost steam. That is the price you pay for starting something that
has no agenda,” he told the Sunday Nation. He believes Governor Ruto and
his allies have realised the political might of the DP in the Rift
Valley cannot be taken for granted.
“To be honest, you
cannot challenge William (Mr Ruto) in Rift Valley. You do so at your
own peril, we have not told any of them to shut up but see, they cannot
keep the momentum,” he said.
But the Governor and Kanu’s Mr Salat rejected this view.
“That
was a temporary timeout. We will see who will eventually be run out of
town. The DP keeps chasing our shadow. That is why he insults us at
every public rally he attends in the Rift Valley,” Mr Salat told the
Sunday Nation, alluding to the DP’s criticism of Kanu and its leaders
last weekend.
Unlike the DP, who has state machinery at
his disposal, he said, they could not afford to move around the region
without taking a break. “His activities are backed by the state so he
can afford to be all over the place; for us, every penny counts,” said
Mr Salat.
Governor Ruto, right, said nothing had
changed, but he did not want to steal the limelight from Mr Munya, the
new council boss, who needed to settle on the job first.
“I handed over the chairmanship of Governors Council. I am resolute on what I have been pushing for,” he said.
NEW PARTY
The county chief scoffed at the DP’s push to herd Rift Valley politicians to join the Jubilee Alliance Party (JAP).
“The
hawkish elements in TNA and the ultra-sycophants in URP are the ones
who will end up in JAP — and may be merchants and outright looters. I am
in this for the long haul: To move away from tribal politics and to
ensure devolution works,” he said.
Mr Salat accused the
DP of disparaging the former ruling party, which is allied to Jubilee,
instead of seeking to forge closer ties.
“History will
never be changed and it can only be repeated. What Mr Ruto should know
is that he owes his political ascendency to Kanu as he was a Kanu
project and his political career was well moulded by the former
president,” said Mr Salat.
The Deputy President has in
the past told Senator Moi “to accept to be led since others also
subjected themselves to his father’s rule for 24 years”.
The
bid to popularise JAP in Rift Valley has run into headwinds after a
number of influential politicians voiced resistance and insisted on
strengthening URP, which is in a coalition with President Kenyatta’s
TNA.
The DP has in the last two weeks intensified his tours in the region to drum up support for JAP as their 2017 vehicle.
Additional reporting by Francis Mureithi
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