Ruto to run in 2012 on UDM ticket

Tuesday, 19 April 2011 00:02 BY MATHEWS NDANYI AND GEOFFREY MOSOKU

TICKET: Eugene Wamalwa and William Ruto during a rally in Amutala stadium In Kimilili on Sunday.

ELDORET North MP William Ruto has formally announced that he will vie for the presidency on a United Democratic Movement party. Ruto said he and his close allies had agreed that UDM is their best option to win next year’s elections.
They plan to make a mass exit from ODM and join the party that currently has Cabinet minister Hellen Sambili as its only MP.“We will link up with other like-minded leaders and parties from across the country so that we can give Kenyans genuine leadership next year,” Ruto announced.
Yesterday the Star reported that some of his supporters were unhappy with an informal deal where Ruto would be the vice-presidential running mate for Uhuru Kenyatta in 2012.
Some close allies led by Konoin MP Julius Kones insist that Finance minister Uhuru should instead back Ruto. “William Ruto campaigned for Uhuru Kenyatta in 2002 and we as leaders from the Rift Valley feel that it is now payback time. We will demand that Uhuru support Ruto,” Kones said.
He said that Rift Valley leaders have already approached Uhuru's and Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka's camps to seek their support for Ruto’s candidacy.“We have already held several discussions with the other camps and will continue to lobby on behalf of Ruto,” said Kones.
He revealed that the G7 Alliance was considering two options in arriving at the single presidential candidate including the formation of a single political party or entering into a pre-election coalition arrangement.“If the leaders agree on the first option, then they will all have to disband our parties and join one party. However, should it be more appropriate to maintain the party identities, then we shall enter a PNU-like arrangement,” he said.
Kanu secretary general Nick Salat said it was time that Central Kenya supported a candidate from another region. “Our brothers from Central have a tradition of voting for their own. But this time they must prove otherwise by supporting a person from outside their region,” Salat said at a funds drive in Kipkorir Salat Secondary School in Konoin Constituency at the weekend.Salat is however not considered a pro-Ruto supporter.
Ruto's desire to use the UDM may be cause a hitch as Gen John Koech still claims to be the party chairman despite a coup in November where he was replaced by former Kenya National Union of Teachers boss Joseph Chirchir, a close ally of Ruto. Koech, Ruto's former close confidant, still supports Prime Minister Raila Odinga. Koech has filed a case with the Political Parties Tribunal to have his replacement rescinded as unconstitutional.
The case is expected to be heard this morning by tribunal chairman Peter Simani. Koech’s lawyer Mugambi Imanyara said his client should be reinstated as the UDM chairman until his term of office expires in 2013. If the tribunal rescinds the decision to sack Koech, Ruto and his allies may have to look for another party.
Speaking at Kapsowar in Marakwet yesterday, Ruto said several "bottlenecks" had been placed in the way of his presidential race.“They started with the maize scandal which I overcame and then they moved to the corruption case which has been dismissed. Now they are using poll violence cases. I trust in God that I will be proved innocent,” said Ruto.
International Criminal Court Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo has repeatedly stated that his decision to charge Ruto and the five other 2007-08 post-election violence suspects was based on his investigations and not local politics.
The Ruto group was optimistic they would retain their hold on the UDM and were making plans for a relaunch of the party and the establishment of branches countrywide.
MPs present during the meeting included Saboti MP Eugene Wamalwa, Marakwet West MP Boaz Keino and Jackson Kiptanui from Keiyo South.