Vote push tops agenda as DP tours North Rift

What you need to know:

  • A URP meeting in Nandi County aimed at taking a common stand on the referendum on Tuesday failed to take off after governor Cleophas Lagat and five MPs boycotted it.
  • There was drama in Kapsabet Town after two parallel demonstrations were held between supporters of Dr Lagat for the referendum, and those of Senator Stephen Sang and Women Representative Zipporah Kering.
  • Analysts see the referendum push as the litmus test for the Deputy President’s political career in the Rift Valley, which voted overwhelmingly for the Jubilee coalition in the 2013 elections.

The referendum debate is set to feature prominently as Deputy President William Ruto tours the North Rift Friday.

The two-pronged debate being fronted by the Cord coalition on one hand, and governors on the other, threatens to split Mr Ruto’s United Republican Party (URP).

Mr Ruto will be in Eldoret to flag off a fleet of cars which the police and the Uasin-Gishu county government will use to improve security.

Analysts see the referendum push as the litmus test for the Deputy President’s political career in the Rift Valley, which voted overwhelmingly for the Jubilee coalition in the 2013 elections.

The referendum, which some governors have supported, is proving to be a hard nut to crack for Mr Ruto.

The Deputy President is also expected to comment on the public spat between National Assembly Majority Leader Adan Duale and Council of Governors chairman Isaac Ruto in Narok on Monday.

During the meeting, which was also attended by the deputy president, Mr Duale accused Mr Ruto of misappropriating devolution funds, comments that did not go down well with the governor.

Yesterday, the governor said he was briefing his lawyers: “I’m suing him for defamation. There is no money I have squandered yet he has persistently said I have.”

URP MEETING

A URP meeting in Nandi County aimed at taking a common stand on the referendum on Tuesday failed to take off after governor Cleophas Lagat and five MPs boycotted it.

There was drama in Kapsabet Town after two parallel demonstrations were held between supporters of Dr Lagat for the referendum, and those of Senator Stephen Sang and Women Representative Zipporah Kering.

Last week, Dr Lagat went against his party’s stand on the referendum and announced his entire county supported the push.

The county boss has maintained that Jubilee governors supporting the referendum were ready to ship out of the ruling coalition if that was the price to pay for fighting to have more funds allocated to the 47 counties.

“I’m not a civil servant to be intimidated by calls to resign. I serve the electorate, and all that we are demanding is adequate funds for quality services,” said Dr Lagat.

And elsewhere, secretary-general Fred Muteti said URP had not planned any disciplinary action against individuals who were supporting the referendum, in spite of the party leader opposing it.