WILLIAM RUTO URGES RIFT VALLEY TO DO THIS

Deputy President William Ruto yesterday camped at his North Rift backyard, a day after he held rallies in the South Rift, urging residents to adopt a six-piece voting pattern and turn up in large numbers on August 9.

Dr Ruto, who addressed rallies in Nandi, Uasin Gishu, West Pokot and Elgeyo Marakwet counties, asked residents in the vote-rich Rift Valley to only elect United Democratic Alliance (UDA) candidates for all seats.

Determined to control both the Senate and the National Assembly, the DP urged residents, like he did on Sunday at the historic Kapkatet Grounds in Kericho, to shun independent candidates or those running on any other political outfit.

The DP yesterday suggested that voting in independent candidates would embarrass him.

Some of the DP’s allies who refused to concede defeat after losing in the party primaries and his critics from Nandi County are running as independent candidates. They include Mr Cornelius Serem (Aldai), Mr Vincent Tuwei (Mosop), Dr Tecla Tum (Nandi woman rep) and Mr Alfred Keter (Nandi Hills).

In Uasin Gishu, his critics include Mr Silas Tiren (Moiben), Mr William Chepkut (Ainabkoi) and Dr Swarup Mishra (Kesses) .

A similar situation has been witnessed in Kericho, Bomet, and Elgeyo-Marakwet counties.

Yesterday’s rallies mainly targeted Mr Keter, Dr Mishra, Mr Tiren, Elgeyo-Marakwet Governor Alex Tolgos, West Pokot Governor John Lonyangapuo and Pokot South MP David Pkosing.

“Johnson Sakaja is vying on UDA in Nairobi, Susan Kihika is on UDA in Nakuru, Johnson Muthama in Machakos is with UDA and many other candidates across the country. There is no way we are going to elect independent candidates here at home. It cannot happen and do not allow that to take place,” the DP Ruto pleaded with residents.

“Let no one take our people for granted by thinking that they are of no value by buying them. Is there anyone here who has been bought? I want to know if there is anyone here who owes those people anything,” said the DP, in reference to Dr Mishra who is running a well-oiled campaign against the UDA candidate, Mr Julius Ruto.

Senator Kipchumba Murkomen added: “I want to tell Mishra that we are aware of how he has been bragging that he has enough money to buy voters. Our people are more intelligent and will not fall into your trap. They will vote for the UDA candidate because they cannot be bought.”

Uasin Gishu Woman Rep Gladys Shollei also weighed in on the matter. “I would like to give Mishra a warning that he will not win this seat again because there is no way your business interests would be more important than that of the community which voted for you,” she said.

DP Ruto asked residents to give him leaders who understand his bottom-up economic model as well as those who will unite the region.

“We want leaders who will unite all communities. We do not want leaders who are going to divide our people in whatever way. As a community and Kenya Kwanza, we have refused the politics of ethnicity,” he said.

Kiharu MP Ndindi urged residents to turn up in large numbers on election day. “Where I come from we will overwhelmingly vote for Ruto, there is no way the turnout will be small where the DP hails from. Let us agree, we cannot tolerate such kind of play,” he said.