Ruto, Moi trade barbs in supremacy contest

The war of words between Deputy President William Ruto and Kanu Chairman Gideon Moi is worsening by the day, with the DP now saying the cockerel party has lost focus.

Mr Ruto dared the Baringo senator to declare his political stand and stop criticising his 2022 presidential bid.

Speaking during a series of rallies in Baringo County, the DP hit out at the Kanu chairman for criticising his presidential bid, which he termed a show of cowardice.

“We know that Mr Moi is a confused fellow who does not even know his political stand in the next year’s General Election. That is why he is complaining because he has already panicked," said Mr Ruto during a rally in Marigat.

"Kanu is a confused party, which has lost focus. They don’t even have a plan for next year."

The DP wondered why the senator was castigating his presidential ambitions yet the Kalenjin supported his father’s presidency for many years.

He said that the ground was shifting, with many parties switching allegiance to the Jubilee Party, and challenged Kanu to follow suit.

The DP claimed that all Bungoma MCAs were willing to work with Jubilee and more than 15 coast MPs had already joined the coalition.

Mr Moi has been traversing the Rift Valley urging locals to join Kanu and this has not gone down well with Ruto’s supporters, who perceive this to be a scheme to weaken the DP’s hold on the region.

Speaking in Eldama Ravine on Thursday last week, the he told off rivals whom he said were beginning to panic over the party’s growing popularity and heightened activities in the vote-rich Rift Valley.

He brushed off Mr Ruto’s 2022 bid saying he should instead focus on improving the lives of citizens instead of telling them to believe in his “far fetched” dreams.

Mr Moi said he wanted to send a strong message to his rivals that this was just the beginning of tough times ahead for them.