Ruto vows to continue with push for referendum

Governors and Senators, led by Council of Governors chairman Isaac Ruto (centre) in this file photo. Ruto has vowed to continue drumming up support for a referendum if the Executive reneges on the agreement to transfer all functions to the counties.  NATION MEDIA GROUP

By GEOFFREY RONO marukware@yahoo.com
Posted  Saturday, August 10  2013 at  20:04

Bomet Governor Isaac Ruto has vowed to continue drumming up support for a referendum if the Executive reneges on the agreement to transfer all functions to the counties.

“There are no two ways about it, if the functions are not unbundled as agreed recently, we will ask the people through a referendum to decide whether or not they want the functions devolved to the county governments or not,” Mr Ruto said Saturday during the launch of the Bomet County Integrated Development Plan 2013/17 at the Bomet Green Stadium.

He sought to dismiss claims that there is a power struggle between him and Deputy President William Ruto.

“Let it be known that I will seek a second term as Bomet Governor in the 2017 General Election, not any other position,” he said in an apparent response to claims that he was being groomed to be Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s running mate in 2017.

“It is my responsibility as the chairman of the council of governors to be the custodian of devolution.  But this does not mean that the push has created bad blood between me and the deputy president,” he said.

He accused Rift Valley MPs of kowtowing to the whims of an individual forgetting they are only answerable to the people who sent them to Parliament.

“I have never and will never worship an individual. I am only answerable to the people who elected me and to whom I will return in the next elections. Those MPs fighting me owe their allegiance to an individual.”

However, Sotik MP Joyce Laboso Laboso, differed with Mr Ruto, saying MPs will fight to delay transfer of some functions until the county governments have the capacity to run these functions.
“This does not mean MPs are fighting governors and senators. We have to do everything in line with the Constitution,” she said.

Bomet Senator Prof Wilfred Lesan accused some MPs of waging war against Ruto. He said Rift valley leaders want Ruto impeached and expelled from the United Republican Party.

He said the Senate had the sole mandate to remove the governors from office.

Prof Lesan urged local MPs to be wary of “external forces” out to use them to fight their own.

Political analysts say the former Chepalungu MP has never forgiven the Deputy President for supporting Kericho Senator Charles Keter in the fight for the control of the Kipsigis, Rift Valley’s largest vote basket. 

The analysts now say the perceived rift between the two Rutos might reignite supremacy battles pitting the South Rift (the Kipsigis) and the North Rift (other Kalenjin communities).

The Kipsigis, the most populous of the Kalenjin group, has always felt used and short-changed by successive leaderships despite their voting power.