Former MP tells of the day Ruto punched him

By Vincent Bartoo

For a man who has weathered many political battles, one incident stands out as the beginning of his woes.

Former Eldoret North MP Reuben Chesire recalls one stormy afternoon at State House, Nairobi.

It was in mid 2002, and the General Election was just around the corner.

"I had gone to State House to seek permission from former President Moi to travel abroad on official duties," he recalls.

He was and still is chairman of the Kenya Dairy Board. The following day, the media widely reported an embarrassing scuffle between him and Eldoret MP William Ruto.

Chesire claimed then and still insists Ruto punched him on the face, a claim Ruto strongly denied.

Former Eldoret MP Reuben Chesire at his Makongi Dairy Farm in Eldoret.

Revisiting the incident at his Makongi Farm in Eldoret North, Chesire says it was the lowest moment in his political career.

He says he met Ruto on the corridors of State House and an argument ensued between them.

"Police investigated the matter but that is as far as it went. I do not know what happened," he told The Standard in a recent interview.

Ruto, however, told the media then he only cautioned Chesire against undermining him politically. He claimed he never raised a finger at him.

Ugly incident

Chesire recalls after the incident, he met President Moi, as he was about to leave State House and was granted permission.

But that was not the only ugly incident in his checkered political career.

"I have had roadblocks all my (political) life. To this day, I have never known why my enemies have been so rough with me. I have been fought all through," says Chesire.

He, however, says that is all behind him as he heads the Dairy Board.

From his office in Eldoret, we drive in his vehicle to his Makongi Farm, about 60kms away.

He says his focus now is to give back to the society and uplift the living standards of farmers, especially those in dairy farming.

As we near his home, he asks his driver to head to Makongi Boys High School, adjacent to his farm.

He says he donated 52 acres of land to the school. He also follows the progress of the school.

Chesire in his horticultural farm where he grows fruits, maize, nappier grass and eucalyptus trees. [PHOTOs:PETER OCHIENG/STANDARD]

On this day, Chesire is to be briefed on an upcoming prayer meeting for Form Four candidates sitting this year’s Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE). He is the school patron.

When we arrive at his home, Chesire heads to his dairy farm for updates from his workers on an ongoing zero grazing project.

Chesire then heads to the farm office where he gets information on other parts of the farm. He grows maize, eucalyptus trees, nappier grass and other horticultural crops.

All records are computerised and follows an American system adopted by his manager.

In the farm, there are Aryshire dairy cows sired with semen imported from Britain, Canada, Finland and Sweden.

Although he is happy with the recent efforts to revive agricultural institutions, Chesire says most farmers still do not get value for their produce.

Radical surgery

"In my opinion, the Ministry of Agriculture needs a radical surgery. Over the years, it has failed to come to the aid of farmers, especially in curbing high production costs," he says.

Chesire proudly walks around his farm when not in office, surveying his herd and there is not even a trace of his high-flying political career.

Chesire was Eldoret North MP between 1988 and 1992. He was edged out of the seat by the late William arap Saina in the following General Election.

His efforts to recapture the seat in 1997, flopped after he was allegedly rigged out of Kanu nominations.

"I remember we repeated the nominations five times but they eventually succeeded in rigging me out. It was clear some people were uncomfortable with me," he recalls.

Ruto, who was then a key figure in the, Youth for Kanu 1992 (YK92), went ahead to win the seat in 1997, 2002 and 2007.

Chesire did not give up and gave the seat another shot in 2002.

But Ruto floored him again in a disputed election that ended in a petition.

"The case took four and a half years to be heard. It actually came up for hearing in October last year and I just withdrew it out of frustration," he says.

"I am a person of honesty and integrity and I have now been made to believe Kenya’s politics has no room for such people," he adds.