Ruto runs into hostile crowd protesting over disputed land

By Peter Mutai and Kipchumba Kemei
Suspended Higher Education Minister William Ruto ran into a hostile crowd in Narok town as students demonstrated over a controversial piece of land allocated to displaced persons in Nakuru District.
A group of University students and a section of town residents blocked Ruto who was on his way to Bomet for a rally and demanded to be told what he and Finance Minister Uhuru Kenyatta were doing over the dispute on Rosewood farm.
The group comprising university students who had been ferried into the town early in the morning chanted slogans against Ruto and Uhuru.
The students had arrived in the town from Nairobi in two hired commuter buses.
Ruto in a convoy of about 20 vehicles found his route blocked by students drawn from various universities who converged in Narok town on learning that he and Uhuru Kenyatta were scheduled to pass by the town en-route to Bomet for a rally.
Holding hostage
Ruto accompanied by several MPs and Cabinet minister Najib Balala convinced the unruly crowd to clear the road, but after holding them hostage for almost two hours.
As the drama unfolded police watched from a distance and did not intervene. Speaking at the rally Uhuru and Ruto said they would remain united despite The Hague cases. Ruto said he would talk to the Finance Minister to back him for president next year.
Ruto said the Kalenjin supported Uhuru in the 2002 polls in the race for State House, saying it was payback time.
Speaking in Kalenjin during the interdenominational prayers held for the ‘Ocampo Six’ at Bomet Stadium, Ruto said the Kalenjin must prepare adequately for next year’s polls by forming alliances with other tribes willing to support him to ascend to power.
"We will talk to Uhuru in the near future to have him support us (meaning Ruto himself) this time because we supported him in 2002 elections," Ruto said as Uhuru sat pensively at the dais at the stadium during the prayers. On his part Uhuru said The Hague case would not cause them to fall out as claimed by a section of leaders, who said Uhuru’s Party of National Unity has provided incriminating evidence against Ruto to the International Criminal Court (ICC) on post-election violence.
"Some people think that the ICC cases facing me and Ruto at The Hague will cause a major falling out. Let me assure that their wishes and schemes are doomed. We will go to The Hague and return as one," Uhuru said. The prayers meeting, attended also by Kass FM radio presenter Joshua Sang, who is among the six named by the ICC, attracted 32 MPs. There were also four Cabinet ministers and faithful from various denominations in the South Rift.
Once again, the Prime Minister Raila Odinga was the subject of many of the speeches at the rally.