Ruto seeks Uhuru tour to defuse growing rebellion in South Rift

What you need to know:

  • Leaders from the county yesterday said the DP asked the President to attend the fundraising for the African Gospel Church headquarters on Sunday.
  • The President and the deputy have been pushing for the support of the Jubilee Alliance Party, although the new outfit has faced resistance in the region.
  • Some leaders asked their colleagues not to bombard the President with their problems, saying he would be attending a church function and not a political event.

Deputy President William Ruto asked President Uhuru Kenyatta to visit South Rift this weekend in a bid to defuse growing rebellion against Jubilee administration in the area.

Mr Ruto has been eager for the President to tour the region, especially Bomet County, to wrestle back his influence that has been threatened by the rebellion of Governor Isaac Ruto.

The President will be accompanied by his deputy and will make his maiden visit to the county against the backdrop of widening rift between leaders in the region that overwhelmingly voted for him in the 2013 General Election.

Leaders from the county yesterday said the DP asked the President to attend the fundraising for the African Gospel Church headquarters on Sunday.

They said the visit was timely and would provide a window for the warring leaders to reconcile.

Bomet Senator Wilfred Lesan said preparations were under way to ensure the visit was successful.

“The people of Bomet are very welcoming and are happy to be part of this government. We have heard several issues about the county, but I can tell you they are happy with this government and its leadership,” said Prof Lesan.

He said the church leaders approached the DP to request the President to oversee the fundraising.

The visit comes a week after the Mr Ruto’s United Republican Party dismissed nine nominated ward representatives from Bomet aligned to Governor Ruto which was interpreted as an attempt to tame the county boss.

The Mau evictions has also cropped up after families were kicked out of the forest last week. The President and the deputy have been pushing for the support of the Jubilee Alliance Party, although the new outfit has faced resistance in the region.

However, Bureti MP Leonard Sang said they welcomed the party and were ready to popularise it.

“We welcome the President to the South Rift. We want to assure him we support the Jubilee Alliance Party although there are a lot of misconceptions around it. We are happy with the way the government has taken control of the Mau evictions,” said Mr Sang.

Some leaders asked their colleagues not to bombard the President with their problems, saying he would be attending a church function and not a political event.

“He is not coming so that we can ask questions about his leadership. We already support him and his deputy. We are fully prepared to welcome him,” said former Konoin MP Julius Kones, also the chairman National Water Conservation and Pipeline Corporation.

Despite growing resistance to the new party, the DP last week asked URP legislators from Rift Valley to vigorously promote it over the one-month recess that began last week when he met them at Weston Hotel in Nairobi.