Isaac Ruto remains unbowed as Uhuru Kenyatta rally support for DP William Ruto

Isaac Ruto remains unbowed as Uhuru Kenyatta rally support for DP William Ruto


Published on May 10, 2015


President Uhuru Kenyatta was in the south rift region today with a stern warning to URP leaders to end the political wrangles that he says will derail jubilee's development agenda. The president was speaking about the political supremacy battles pitting his deputy William Ruto and a section of leaders in the south rift region led by Bomet governor Isaac Ruto.

Defiant Isaac Ruto says he won't join JAP and tells off the President



Council of Governors chairman Isaac Ruto addresses a press conference in Nairobi on August 26, 2014. PHOTO | JEFF ANGOTE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

By NATION CORRESPONDENT

In Summary

• Governor asked President and DP to stop "thumping their chests".
• "I don't know what this animal called JAP is… I will never join it."

Bomet Governor Isaac Ruto on Monday remained defiant that he will not join the Jubilee Alliance Party as he criticised the President for turning a prayer meeting into a political rally to market the outfit.


The governor further asked President Kenyatta and his Deputy William Ruto to stop "thumping their chests" as they market their new party and stamp out rebellion in the coalition.

"The Jubilee Coalition consists of the United Republican Party and The National Alliance. I don't know what this animal called JAP is… I will never join it," he said at a news conference on Monday.

Added Mr Ruto; "South Rift region is not an extension of Central province. Leaders here have their own style of doing things and this does not include being coerced."

He said they welcomed all leaders to Bomet, irrespective of their political affiliations, but pointed out that it was wrong for the visitors to "chest thump" while marketing their political parties manifesto and policies.

The governor spoke a day after President Kenyatta and his Deputy visited the region to attend a fundraiser for the construction of the African Gospel Church Investment Centre and regional office.

During the meeting, the two leaders hit out at those perceived to be rebels, asking them to toe the party's line or "the writing was on the wall" a move interpreted by many as having being directed to the Bomet governor, who has of late been vocal critic of the coalition.

On Monday, Mr Ruto said the two leaders went against the church's wishes that politics be kept out of the meeting.

"The Sunday function was purely a prayer service and it was wrong for the Head of State and his Deputy to use the podium to popularise JAP in South Rift region, he said.

The governor said even though they were happy that the President, who flanked by at least 30 MPs, three Senators and three governors visited the county, it was improper for them to introduce politics in the meeting.

He insisted that South Rift residents were in the Jubilee Coalition and not JAP.

Defiant Ruto says he won’t join JAP - Politics | Daily Nation

Hapo naona una agenda yako, this is so contrary to what happened on sunday

Dhuks said:

Hapo naona una agenda yako, this is so contrary to what happened on sunday

Click to expand...

Lemmie flip this back at ya...wewe ndiwe uliye na agenda yako contrary to what I have posted.

Ruto says Uhuru, DP broke 'deal' on Bomet visit



Deputy President William Ruto (left) chats with Bomet Governor Isaac Ruto at Bomet Grounds during the fundraiser in aid of the Africa Gospel Church over the weekend

Hopes of an early truce between Bomet Governor Isaac Ruto and Deputy President William Ruto may be premature, after the county chief accused the presidency of breaking a prior unwritten agreement to steer clear of politics at a church fundraiser they attended on Sunday.

Echoing KANU secretary general Nick Salat, who was also attended, Governor Ruto confirmed on phone to The Standard yesterday that Kipsigis elders agreed after meeting with leaders that the fundraiser should not be ‘tainted' with political statements in light of the supremacy wars in the county.

After the meeting, Salat said it was unfortunate that the fundraiser was hijacked by one set of politicians who refused to respect the sanctity of the church and the wishes of local elders.

"Some leaders came out guns blazing despite an agreement after two days of meeting that politics would be left aside," Salat told The Standard.

Governor Ruto said the President duped the local leaders and went ahead to try and popularise the new Jubilee Alliance Party ( JAP) and shower praise on the DP in front of his political rivals.

He made the comments after an earlier Press conference in Bomet, where he made it clear that he would only accept talks with the DP if he showed him respect, and dismissed the DP's claim that the region would vote to the last man for the newly-formed JAP in the next General Election.

"Bomet is not Kabete where ‘Baba Yao' (Waititu) won the seat on a JAP ticket. If the DP thinks he can parachute the same notion to change the political tide in the South Rift, then the writing is on the wall for him. He must also embrace consultative leadership just as the President called on all leaders to do," Ruto added.

The Bomet leader's strong ally, Kericho Governor Prof Chepkwony told The Standard that their willingness to heed Uhuru's call for dialogue among leaders in the region should not be interpreted to mean they had been silenced.

"As leaders, we have to dialogue because we cannot allow our party to burn," he said.

Governor Ruto said he could not recall whether he and Kericho Governor Paul Chepkwony, his staunch ally, remained seated when President Uhuru Kenyatta rose to address the meeting.

A photograph doing the rounds on social media shows the two seated.

"Where? I can't remember that moment," Governor Ruto told The Standard on phone when asked about the alleged incident.

A tough-talking Ruto indicated that he had no regrets about what transpired at the function as the President and his deputy went against an agreement not to politic at the event.

He said instead of respecting the church and avoiding politics, they turned the meeting into JAP rally.

"I could have also introduced politics, but because we had agreed to respect the church, I kept my part of the bargain. There was nothing that prevented me from introducing Pesa Mashinani (governors' referendum campaign) and Mau politics to work up the crowd," he said.

Ruto, who is the outgoing Council of Governors chairman, also faulted President Kenyatta for issuing a title deed for the controversial Bomet University without involving the county government.

shift blame

"I don't know if the title he gave was done by the National Land Commission (NLC), which under law is supposed to manage public land on behalf of the county governments. If indeed NLC endorsed the title, then that is abuse of office since we were not involved," he added.

See also: South Rift leaders welcome calls for unity, but fault insults at 'rebels'

During the fundraiser for the Africa Gospel Church held at Bomet Green Stadium, President Kenyatta cautioned some Jubilee leaders he did no name to stop disrupting the Government's development agenda.

He also attempted to shift blame for the supremacy wars on Kenya's print media alleging that they were fanning the conflict.

"Nitarudia kila siku kusema kwamba gazeti ni ya kufunga nyama (I will repeat what I said before that newspapers are meant for wrapping meat)," he told the gathering, amid laughter from leaders who had accompanied him and his deputy to the function.

He added: "I am very happy with how we work closely with the Deputy President. But for some people, if there is no political conflict, they are not satisfied. Tell them there is a new generation of leaders whose approach is different," he said.

He said those wishing for rifts within the Jubilee Government were engaging in an exercise in futility.

For his part, the DP said he was contented with the position he holds in Government and said he and Uhuru were united.

"We are not fools to form a Government and then start fighting each other instead of working for the people," he said.

He said those who are creating controversies within Jubilee with the hope that they might get some higher leadership positions should learn to be patient. Other leaders from the region also faulted the Jubilee leadership for turning the event into a political platform to attack their opponents.

Standard Digital News - Kenya : Ruto says Uhuru, DP broke 'deal' on Bomet visit