UDF has distanced itself from the current overtures being made by Deputy President William Ruto to bring into the Jubilee fold some of the MPs from the region.
The party's secretary general Dan Ameyo said those MPs who have indicated their willingness to work with Ruto were doing so as individuals and this should not be construed to mean that the party was behind the move.
The MPs have denied suggestions that the overtures were aimed at isolating party leader Musalia Mudavadi who came third during the March 4 presidential elections.Ruto has or several weeks been reaching out to several elected leaders in the region to try and get their support for the Jubilee administration.
Among the UDF MPs who have meet with Ruto include Emmanuel Wangwe (Navakholo), Ayub Savula (Lugari), Alfred Agoi (Sabatia), Yusuf Chanzu (Vihiga). Concerns have been expressed that the MPs acquiescence to Ruto's overtures will send out signals that Mudavadi was being deserted by his MPs and therefore isolate him politically and render him irrelevant.
Yesterday, Ameyo fought hard to dismiss the perception saying that the MPs's decision to work with Ruto was their individual right. "We as a party have not yet made a decision for our MPs to support any one. When we do we shall make it public,” Ameyo said.
Three UDF MPs—Ben Washiali (Mumias East), Chanzu (Vihiga) and Malulu Injendi (Malava)— said their decision to work with the DP was pragmatic as they cannot afford to to ignore the government of the day if they wanted to keep the promises they made to their electorate.
Chanzu said there is nothing unusual in the UDF MPs supporting Ruto as the party had signed a post election deal with Jubilee Alliance to work together.
“The perception that we are sidelining Mudavadi is wrong. Elections are far away and there is nowhere in the world where we can ignore the government of the day,” he said.
He said people were reading too much in Ruto's visit to Busia last weekend or even the MPs pledge to work with the DP.
“The people of Malava will judge me on deliverables come 2017 and I must work with other leaders if I have to achieve what I promised,” Injendi said.
“Ruto is the deputy president and it is obvious that I have to work with him if I want to deliver for the people of Malava. I am talking to him as avfellow leader. When you stick to your party too much you lose out,” he said.
Washiali accused people have “refused to move on” and the media for peddling the information. “Ruto is the deputy president and we should put politics aside and support the government and ensure that it delivers on its promises. This is not to spite Mudavadi. The issue of supporting Ruto is neither here nor there. I recognise Ruto as the deputy president and as long that remains, I will offer my support,” he said adding that Mudavadi was a "democrat who understands the dynamics of politics and he knows this is not time for politics.”
However Butere MP Andrew Toboso urged the MPs to distance themselves from what he called “paternalistic” politics.
He warned Ruto that his 'divide and rule tactics' would not endear him with the residents of the region.
“I want to tell my colleagues that they don't need Ruto to access their CDF kitty or get their county allocations,” he said. “The constitution has a framework that ensures that all regions benefit equally from national resources.”
Toboso said the people of Western are yet to see what the deputy president has done for them, “whether now or before. “He is talking to one section of leaders. This is not a leader we can engage,” he said, “We shall fight this attempt for divide and rule tactics.”
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