Kuttuny disowns ‘Ruto list’ of URP members

TUESDAY, 10 APRIL 2012 23:55 BY MATHEWS NDANYI

STRATEGY: Councillor Jane Kibii and aspiring governor Vesca Kangogo at the Eldoret Municipal Hall yesterday. Photo/Mathews Ndanyi

A list indicating candidates favoured by Eldoret North MP William Ruto to run for elective seats in Uasin Gishu county was widely circulated in the region at the weekend. The document claims that the candidates will be given direct nomination by Ruto's United Republican Party to vie for positions in the county during the coming general election.

However, Cheranganyi MP Joshua Kutuny dismissed the list as cheap propaganda intended to ruin the credibility and image of the new party'. "URP has not even applied for registration at the office of the Registrar of Political Parties as required by the new law and no one in the party is thinking of such things," said Kutuny. He said URP would adhere to its democratic principals and allow all candidates to go through nominations in order to pick popular ones who will vie for different seats. "URP is a democratic party and there will be no such things as direct nominations," said Kutuny.

There are many candidates interested in various seats in the county during the coming polls but the list circulated in Eldoret claims that URP will give direct nomination to Silas Tiren to run for Moiben parliamentary seat, Isaac Maiyo for Turbo, Caleb Kositany for Soy, Zachayos Bundotich for Ainabkoi while Dr J.K Bittok will run for seat of governor, former MP Francis Tarar for senate and Eldoret South MP Peris Simam is selected to run for the seat of women representative.

All those mentioned on the list are close allies of Ruto but most of them are yet to publicly declare their interest in the seats. Kositany, however, said he would unveil his plans soon just like Maiyo who is also the CDF chairman for Eldoret North constituency. Ruto is a resident of Uasin Gishu and as a presidential candidate, he will have influence on whoever will be elected for various seats.

Due to his influence, URP will attract a lot of competition competition among those who will be seeking to vie for the seats. In the same county, there are many other independent candidates who have declared interest in the same seats ahead of the elections. Human Resource expert Vesca Kangogo is among those who want to vie for the position of governor in the region. She has already started campaigns for the seat. Kutuny said some of the parliamentary seats mentioned on the list are still proposals by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commssion and that URP is not interested in such propaganda.