William Ruto returns to Coast for series of fundraisers

Deputy President William Ruto at a past function. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • On Friday, Kilifi Woman Representative Gertrude Mbeyu confirmed the DP’s planned visit to Kauma, and added that the residents looked forward to receiving him.

  • Ms Mbeyu said the DP’s visit would be purely on development issues in the region.

  • Kaloleni MP Paul Katana said he would host the DP at St John’s Girls during the school’s Jubilee celebrations.

  • Political pundits say visit is likely to shape the politics of the region, coming in the wake of decision by a top organ of the ODM to expel Malindi MP Aisha Jumwa.

Deputy President William Ruto will today tour Kilifi County, where he will attend two functions.

First, the DP will lead a fundraising for women’s groups in the newly-created Kauma sub-county in the morning.

Then he will proceed to Kaloleni town to fundraise for a hall at St John’s Girls High School.

On Friday, Kilifi Woman Representative Gertrude Mbeyu confirmed the DP’s planned visit to Kauma, and added that the residents looked forward to receiving him.

'DEVELOPMENT ISSUES'

Ms Mbeyu said the DP’s visit would be purely on development issues in the region.

“He is coming to assist us in projects that we believe will change the lives of the residents,” she said. “Women in this region have remained marginalised for long but we want to make sure that we change that.”

Speaking on telephone, Kaloleni MP Paul Katana said he would host the DP at St John’s Girls during the school’s Jubilee celebrations.

“The DP will be in Kaloleni for an event to commemorate 50 years of St John’s Girls Secondary School. As a guest of honour, the DP will also fundraise in aid of the school’s multipurpose hall. The DP is coming purely to support development initiatives in Kaloleni,” said Mr Katana.

JUMWA EXPULSION

The lawmaker, on his Facebook page, posted about the visit and asked residents to turn up and celebrate the day.

Political pundits, however, say the visit is likely to shape the politics of the region, coming in the wake of the recent decision by a top organ of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) to expel Malindi MP Aisha Jumwa from the party for “gross misconduct”.

The National Governing Council met towards the end of last month to ratify the party’s disciplinary committee decision to expel Ms Jumwa and her Msambweni counterpart Suleiman Dori for gross misconduct.

The council, however, spared Mr Dori after he wrote a letter of apology to secretary-general Edwin Sifuna. He is, nonetheless, required to appear before the council within 60 days.

RUTO SUPPORTERS

The two legislators’ dalliance with Deputy President William Ruto is what has been giving the opposition a persistent headache.

They have publicly endorsed Dr Ruto’s desire to run for presidency in 2022, thus earning flak from the party leaders.

After the decision, Ms Jumwa returned to her hometown of Malindi and received a warm welcome. She then assured the residents that she will be their MP up to 2022.

Speaking in Kwale after the decision, Mr Dori thanked the party for the decision to spare him from the purge.

He said he was loyal to party leader Raila Odinga and had not wronged the party in any way.

'WEIGH SITUATION'

A political analyst, Kazungu Katana said the return of the DP to the region is basically to weigh the political situation that was brought by the recent happenings in the opposition.

“Remember ODM expelled Ms Jumwa for demonstrating a clear position of campaigning for the DP in the 2022 General Election.

Now the DP apart from coming for the development activities, will also be doing a facts checking on the after-political wave that is current at the coast.

Then we have Mr Dori whom indications show that he may be spared from expulsion from the party.

Will he be able to attend the Ruto meeting, now that he openly thanked Mr Raila Odinga for sparing him the stick that hit her Malindi counterpart,” said Mr Katana.