Ruto allies take on Kabogo over 2017 poll remark

Kiambu Governor William Kabago’s remarks that Deputy President William Ruto should not expect automatic support from Central Kenya in his 2022 presidential bid are now threatening to rock the ruling Jubilee coalition.

A section of leaders and residents from the DP’s North Rift backyard are now threatening to decamp from Jubilee over the remarks, which they termed as insensitive, owing to the region’s overwhelming support for the coalition in the 2013 General Election.

Mr Ruto’s United Republican Party (URP) and President Uhuru Kenyatta’s The National Alliance (TNA) teamed up in the run-up to the last elections with the agreement that Mr Kenyatta will lead for two terms then pave the way for Mr Ruto’s two terms, beginning in 2022.

West Pokot County Deputy Governor Titus Lotee said if Mr Kabogo’s remarks were anything to go by, it was a clear indication that the vote-rich Rift Valley will have no option but to withdraw its support for President Kenyatta in 2017.

Nandi Hills MP Alfred Keter and his Kapseret counterpart Oscar Sudi termed Kabogo’s words as “reckless”.

The duo told the Nation that the remarks should not be taken lightly by the people of Rift Valley.

“We want to make it clear that majority of MPs, elected leaders and community leaders in Rift Valley are unhappy with Kabogo’s remarks. We stood firm and voted for President Uhuru Kenyatta in 2013. We will vote for him in 2017. But we should not be taken for granted by the likes of Kabogo,” Mr Sudi, the Kapseret MP, said.

Mr Keter pointed out that Governor Kabogo was out to cause divisions and political animosity between communities in Rift Valley.

However, Kapenguria MP Samuel Moroto said that Rift Valley politicians were solidly behind the Deputy President.

“We are behind the DP and Kabogo has even been told off by his fellow Mt Kenya leaders,” he said.

He warned politicians against making reckless utterances without considering that what they say may build or destroy the country.

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On Saturday, Jubilee supporters in Eldoret held a peaceful demonstration to condemn Mr Kabogo’s remarks.

But even though Mr Kabogo later clarified that he supported Mr Ruto and that he only wanted to point out that the interests of Central Kenya should be taken into consideration in 2022, the damage had already been done.

Kericho Governor Paul Chepkwony asked the DP’s supporters to “take seriously” the declaration by Mr Kabogo.

“Kabogo is no ordinary governor, and I don’t think he said what he said in jest. Where there is smoke there is fire, and this is something we should take seriously,” he said.

He described Mr Kabogo as ‘a senior politician who has the ear of even the top-most leadership.’

“There could be something he knows that the rest of us might not know,” Prof Chepkwony said.

Kericho County Jubilee youth leader Kipsengeret Koross said that Governor Kabogo was a member of a small elite circle of political leaders who “run the political show in Central Kenya”.

But Kuresoi MP Zakayo Cheruiyot was even more candid, saying that Mr Kabogo did not say anything new.

“It is common knowledge. The timing may not have been right for the community to speak so early. At least the governor was honest and spoke his mind. That is the actual position. The voting will be as Mr Kabogo hinted,” Mr Cheruiyot said.

URP officials in Central region asked the DP to take the Kiambu governor’s remarks seriously.

Speaking to the Nation in Thika on Saturday afternoon, URP Central region co-ordinator Florence Mugure Mburu said Mr Ruto should try to correct the mistakes alluded to by Mr Kabogo in his remarks, and work in unity with all regions to earn their loyalty and trust before the 2022 polls.

On his part, Kirinyaga Governor Joseph Ndathi asked the DP to pick a politician from the county as his running mate in 2022 elections.

He said voters and leaders in the region fully supported Mr Ruto and he should consider getting a running mate from the region in his bid for State House.