Photo/FILE Anti-Raila campaigners are using the Mau forest evictions and The Hague case against Mr Ruto to drum up support.
By EMMAN OMARI
Posted Wednesday, September 14 2011 at 14:37
Posted Wednesday, September 14 2011 at 14:37
The political feud between Prime Minister Raila Odinga and Eldoret North MP William Ruto is being played out openly in Bomet even though a General Election is still a year away.
The battle for supremacy which runs to the politicians allied to the two camps has trickled down to split the electorate.
Anti-Raila campaigners are using the Mau forest evictions and The Hague case against Mr Ruto to drum up support.
The protagonists are formidable in different ways. Mr Odinga is both loved and hated. Mr Ruto is worshipped.
“I will vote in Ruto for president, he is one of our own and we like him. When he was in agriculture things were real good,” said Mr Kiplangat arap Tuiya, a tea farmer from Kamgogoni village in Konoin.
Nothing against Raila
Mr Tuiya, 65, went on: “I don’t have anything against Raila — we liked him — but when they evicted our people from Mau Forest, nobody here will vote for him like we did before.”
This has changed Bomet County politically which in 2007 was an exclusively ODM zone. Voters are now split with the swing tilted towards Mr Ruto this time round.
The pro-Ruto voters argue that Mr Odinga abandoned the Eldoret North MP who supported him to the hilt in his hour of need.
According to them, he should have fought against the inclusion of Mr Ruto among the Ocampo Six – the others being Tinderet MP Henry Kosgey and Kass radio presenter Joshua Sang from ODM side, while also named were Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta, Head of Public Service Francis Muthaura and former police chief Hussein Ali.
“This man Raila should be the one at the forefront leading the war to have The Hague cases dropped,” said Mr Tuiya.
Although the four sitting MPs who went to Parliament riding on the ODM wave are split between the two, in private they acknowledge that the Ruto factor cannot be ignored.
First, the county experienced tragedy in 2008 when former Public Works minister Kipkalya Kones (Bomet) and Sotik MP Lorna Laboso died in a plane crash in Narok’s Enoosupukia area.
Their relatives were later elected to the seats. Two other MPs, Isaac Ruto (Chepalungu) and Julius Kones of Konoin are in Parliament for their pivotal roles in the 2007 ODM campaign for the State House bid of Mr Odinga.
Political affiliations have since changed with Mr Isaac Ruto and Mr Kones in the Ruto camp which has shifted to the hitherto moribund United Democratic Movement.
The Chepalungu MP attributed the ODM exodus to the eviction of people from Mau forest.
“We bore the brunt of Mau evictions, the methodology used to chase people has angered all, even children,” Mr Ruto said.
The assistant minister for Home Affairs, Mrs Beatrice Kones, the widow of Kipkalya Kones and Sotik MP Joyce Laboso, the elder sister of Lorna Laboso have stuck with Mr Odinga.
If things remain the same up to August next year it promises to split the county down the middle.
“I am still in ODM, but the Ruto factor here is big. I will wait and listen to my people when the time comes,” said Mrs Kones.
This will also have a bearing on the outcome of elective positions in the county such as governor, senator and women leaders.
Already, Mr Ruto, Mr Kones , former Cabinet minister John Koech, a former Permanent Secretary for Local Governmemt Sammy Kirui, David Shadrack Rotich, a manager with Algak and phamarcist Wilson Kipsang Rop have declared interest in the governor’s seat.
Three people — former MPs Nick Salat and Raphael Kitur and a former High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr Joshua Terer, have declared they want to contest the Senate seat.
Mrs Kones and Ms Laboso have not shown an interest at county level and both confirmed they were content to defend their seats in the national Parliament.
The case pending against Mr Ruto at The Hague makes little difference to the level of his support.
“We do not care about the case, Ruto will fight for presidency whether in jail or not,” said Coun John Kalya, chairman of Bomet county council.
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Mighty God help our people to turn to you, to call upon your Name!Some are blinded into worshipping fellow men(politicians) without knowing that You alone is to be worshipped.Others have made themselves to be prophets of doom;foretelling bad things about their opponents,yet all secrets are Yours-Jere 33:3.Be wise "The stone you the builders did not accept has become the most important stone of all".Psalms 118:22 and "My people shall perish because of lack of knowledge of things of God"Hosea 4:6.
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