Western leaders split over Ruto

Deputy President William Ruto. PHOTO/FILE  NATION

Deputy President William Ruto’s planned trip to western Kenya at the end of the month and his increasing association with soccer club AFC Leopards has driven a wedge between local politicians.

Mr Ruto has been invited to attend homecoming parties for Malava MP Moses Malulu Injendi and his Navakholo counterpart Emmanuel Wangwe on August 31.

This would be his first visit to populous Kakamega County since the March 4 General Election.

The visit has been welcomed and criticised in equal measure by politicians in the western region with his critics reading a political motive behind the tour.

But Mr Ruto’s supporters maintain that the Luyha community must work with the Jubilee government for the sake of the region’s development.

Raising further suspicion is Mr Ruto’s increasing association with Kenya Premier League soccer side AFC Leopards, which draws its large fan base from the Luyha community, with critics seeing in it a ploy to endear himself to them.

Last month Mr Ruto was in the stands as AFC Leopards trounced Sofapaka 1-0 and is said to have rewarded the players with a Sh1 million cash donation after the match. But he was booed by a section of the fans who chanted slogans in support of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM).

The Deputy President was also in the stands as Leopards fell to arch-rivals Gor Mahia by a goal in another Kenya Premier League match earlier this year. After the game, he walked to the dressing rooms and donated Sh500,000 to each team.

Two weeks ago, Lugari MP Ayub Savula led a group of 15 MPs from the region to State House to meet President Uhuru Kenyatta where they pledged to support the Jubilee government. 

“Our agenda was development. We told him that Western wanted to share in the 85 per cent of the country’s resources because, as matters stand, our people feel sidelined by the Jubilee government,” Mr Savula told the Sunday Nation.

SECURE INVESTOR

“We asked him to help revive the Pan Paper factory at Webuye as well as address the problems facing sugarcane farmers in Nzoia and Mumias. The President promised to help secure an investor to revive Pan Paper,” he explained.

“He also promised to address the problems facing our cane farmers and to tarmac the road from Turbo to Sikhendu, the road linking Kakamega and Bungoma towns through Navakholo and the Sigalagala-Butere roads.

“He told us he will come to Western very soon. He also promised to reach out to our leaders like Musalia Mudavadi and Eugene Wamalwa with a view to seeing how best they can work together,” he added.

But Senate minority leader Moses Wetang’ula maintained that Mr Ruto’s dalliance with the community was doomed to fail.

“What these first-time MPs are doing is stomach politics which will not sway the Luyha community to Jubilee. I encourage my elected colleagues from the Mulembe Nation to pull together and embrace consultative leadership that subordinates self- interest to community interests. The opportunistic posturing and manoeuvres we are witnessing are part of the grand scheme to divide and marginalise the community even further,” the Bungoma senator said. 

Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale weighed in, warning Mr Ruto against using AFC to further his political interests.

“I was in Kasarani when he came to watch Ingwe play Sofapaka with Washiali, Wangwe  and Yusuf Chanzu and the reception he got ought to tell him that the Luyha Nation will never support him,” Mr Khalwale said, referring to the heckling by a section of the crowd.

But Mr Savula defended the Deputy President, saying his support for the club was genuine.

“Mr Ruto is supporting the club in his capacity as the Deputy President. We have previously met him with Mr Chris Wamalwa and a few club officials and we asked him to help find additional sponsors for the club to partner Mumias Sugar, and he is doing that,” he said.

Former Cabinet minister and political analyst Prof Amukowa Anangwe described the move by Mr Savula and his ilk as “perilous”.

“I’ve been traversing Western over the last few weeks, and I can tell you the Luyha are in a foul mood. They feel they have been sidelined by this government, and those trying to endear themselves to the Jubilee government are pursuing a perilous mission tantamount to committing political suicide,” he said.

“Luhyas feel access to development and appointment to government jobs are entitlements and not favours because they are Kenyans, they are qualified and they pay taxes.”

But Masinde Muliro University don, Prof Frank Matanga, disagrees, arguing that the region has to work with the government to achieve development.

“We may say we have a new Constitution and resources have been devolved, but when it comes to development, one must work with the government in power. That is the reality in Kenya just like in other parts of Africa.”