Ruto
allies consider decamping from URP
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Updated 8 hrs 4 mins
ago
By
Vincent Bartoo
Fresh cracks have
emerged in United Republican Party (URP), with some supporters of Eldoret North
MP William Ruto threatening to jump ship.
The wrangles saw some
MPs skip a crucial fundraising meeting in Eldoret at the weekend.
At the centre of the controversy is a group
of Ruto’s allies who are trying to elbow out sitting MPs in the race for URP
tickets.
Two MPs, Chepalungu’s Isaac Ruto and Rongai’s Luka Kigen, are said
to have threatened to quit the party for UDM or ODM.
The two have not been actively involved in URP campaigns as
sources told The Standard disquiet in the party is heightening.
The sources said the Chepalungu MP was not happy with his Eldoret
North counterpart and his allies for underrating him in South Rift politics.
Mr Kigen, on the other hand, suspects Ruto and allies are grooming
former URP interim chairman Nixon Korir to unseat him in Rongai.
“As for Ruto (Chepalungu MP), it is almost certain he will be
decamping to UDM. Ruto (Eldoret North MP) reconciled with Kigen and Korir, but
the former is still not satisfied,” our sources said.
Last Friday, at a URP fundraiser in Eldoret where journalists were
ejected from the meeting, the Eldoret North MP, URP chairman Francis ole Kaparo
and Dujis MP Adan Duale hit hard at supporters for allegedly wrecking the
party.
“This is the home of our party leader and you want to ruin things
for him when other parts of the country are solidly behind him,” said a furious
Kaparo. Duale questioned why URP officials in Rift Valley had allowed other
parties to infiltrate the region and snatch supporters from the party. “In
North Eastern, we will vote for URP as a bloc. But here, there is a problem.
You need to consolidate support for our presidential candidate,” he said.
weakening party
The fundraiser was snubbed by various MPs from the region. They
include Belgut MP Charles Keter, Joshua Kutuny (Cherangany), Jackson Kiptanui
(Keiyo South) and Moses Lesonnet (Eldama Ravine).
When contacted, Mr Kutuny refused to discuss the matter, saying
most MPs who did not attend the function were tired.
“We had just arrived from rallies in Pokot and Marakwet and we
were tired,” he said.
But sources said Keter told their party
leader they would not attend the function because it was organised by a group
of people undermining and weakening the party.
Over the past three weeks, aspirants especially in the North Rift
have threatened to quit URP over what they termed as Ruto’s dictatorial tendencies.
Some of Ruto’s close aides, Isaac Maiyo, Caleb Kositany, Oscar Sudi, Eldoret
Mayor William Rono and Wareng County Council chairman Paul Kiprop are
contesting parliamentary seats in Uasin Gishu. This has also unsettled sitting
MPs.
The aspirants formed Uasin Gishu URP secretariat and named
themselves officials, a move that has caused serious rifts. “It is a crisis
because most candidates are unhappy with the secretariat. They were handpicked
by influential people (Ruto’s allies) who are also eyeing parliamentary seats,”
complained Jackson Limo, a Soy parliamentary aspirant.
At the fundraiser, an agitated Ruto said no
aspirant would get preferential treatment, adding the party was in the process
of publishing URP nomination rules. “I have not picked anyone. There will be no
automatic nomination. You will fight out and whoever emerges winner will get
the ticket,” he told aspirants.
Kaparo announced that grassroots elections would be held on August
29 for wards, 30 for constituency and 31 for county level.
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