Ruto cautions western region against voting for Cord

Deputy President William Ruto has asked members of the Luyha community to abandon the Opposition leader Raila Odinga claiming he has no development agenda for western region.

Mr Ruto said the opposition is preoccupied with campaigns meant to undermine efforts led by the government to unite different communities.

The DP, who spoke in Ikolomani in Kakamega County on Saturday, said the Cord leadership has little chance of winning due to the tussle over who will be the coalition’s flag bearer.

“The Cord leadership has specialized in organising demonstrations and promoting disunity among Kenyans and cannot be expected to offer any meaningful leadership to the country,” Mr Ruto said.

He said as a leader he cannot be restrained from visiting any region he wishes.

“My frequent visits to Kakamega should not cause anybody sleepless nights since I’m a neighbour and I don’t need permission from anybody to come knocking,” he said.

In the 2013 elections, the Western region voted for Mr Odinga overwhelmingly and now the Jubilee Party, led by President Kenyatta and Mr Ruto, is trying to sway the voters in its direction.

The DP launched an ICT centre in Burendwa Primary School and donated Sh2 million for construction of classrooms.

He also told the residents to give Jubilee a second chance since the government was improving infrastructure and tarmacking roads in the region, such as Sigalagala-Butere-Sidindi road.

Additionally, he said the government will set up 30 milk cooling plants in the County by January next year to bolster dairy farming.

Mumias East MP Benjamin Washiali said residents of Western region were warming up to Jubilee and would likely vote for its leaders in the 2017 polls.

Mr Ruto will be in Kakamega for a church service on Sunday.

In attendance were ICT Cabinet Secretary Joe Mucheru, his Water and Irrigation counterpart Eugene Wamalwa and MPs Emmanuel Wangwe (Navakholo), Bernard Shinali (Ikolomani) and Dan Wanyama (Webuye West).