Governors’ defiance in referendum push jolts Ruto's grip of Rift Valley

The open defiance to President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto by Jubilee Alliance governors in Rift Valley on the referendum question is raising concerns about the latter’s political grip of the region.

Some governors from the region have stood their ground demanding that the government disburses more money to counties if they are to abandon the Pesa Mashinani referendum push.

Political analysts and local leaders now fear the fast emerging fallout could snowball into a debacle for the Jubilee coalition in the 2017 elections. Leaders, who spoke to The Standard on Sunday, pointed out that the standoff is not only embarrassing to the DP but also brings to question his ability to galvanise the Rift Valley vote going into the next General Election.

The President and his deputy have made several tours to the region and asked governors to drop their referendum push but their effort has so far yielded little. Even President Kenyatta’s recent intervention in Kericho has borne no fruit. An ugly scene that underlies the political situation happened two weeks ago when supporters of the DP and those of the Bomet Governor Isaac Ruto clashed at a church event in Bomet, with those for and against the referendum engaging in a shouting match.

Uhuru ultimatum

And just two days after Uhuru issued an ultimatum to Jubilee governors to either drop their referendum push or leave the coalition, a governor in Rift Valley shot back and said they were ready to be kicked out if that was the price for standing firm with the Pesa Mashinani campaign.

Speaking at Immanuel African Gospel Church in Kericho town last Sunday, President Kenyatta warned that governors who support the calls for a referendum were betraying the Jubilee government. “We were elected to serve Kenyans, but some of us who were elected under Jubilee have been running up and down asking for more money for their counties and I am telling them to resign from their positions and seek re-election under other parties,” said President Kenyatta.

Nandi Governor Cleophas Lagat called a press conference in Kapsabet on Tuesday and expressly said he would not abandon the push for more money to counties.

“I am not a civil servant to be intimidated by calls to resign, because I serve the electorate who elected me and all that we are demanding is adequate funds for delivery of quality services, this is not a personality contest,” Lagat said.

The Governor marshaled his deputy Dominic Chepyagan, who had earlier distanced himself from the referendum push and the entire assembly, to issue a unanimous and tacit support for the referendum.

Our position

The county boss, who is among the top guns in the Pesa Mashinani campaign, is the latest in the Jubilee governors’ fold to reaffirm their position on the referendum.

The idea now seems to be gaining ground in the Rift Valley with those close to the Deputy President appearing to be back-stubbing him.

Bomet Governor and chairman of the Council of Governors Isaac Ruto and his counterparts Paul Chepkwony (Kericho) and West Pokot’s Simion Kachapin have boldly remain steadfast in the push for the plebiscite.

Elgeyo Marakwet Governor Alex Tolgos, Baringo’s Benjamin Cheboi have remained calm but steady in support of the referendum. But Uasin Gishu Governor Jackson Mandago has quit the referendum campaigns citing political reasons.

In an interview with The Standard on Sunday, Lagat said they would not back down until the national government increases allocation to the counties. He says more money will spur development in the devolved governments. Responding to the President’s quit notice, the Bomet Governor who is the face of Pesa Mashinani initiative, said  threats and intimidation had not yielded desired results and what would be important instead are structured talks.

“The truth of the matter is that governors have raised valid issues, we will only deal with structured talks and not yield to threats and intimidation,” he said. Kericho Governor Chepkwony pointed out that the referendum call is not something governors started yesterday, saying it has been on the cards for a while.

He added that the fight to force Jubilee government to increase revenue allocation to the counties through a referendum should not be construed to mean that like-minded governors are trying to undermine the government and they have to quit Jubilee.

“To support calls for Pesa Mashinani is not to fight anyone,” said Chepkwony.
The governors’ referendum call has seen the chairman of the Council of Governors lock horns with the DP.

Only two weeks ago, the DP’s close allies expressed concern over his political future after President Kenyatta leaves office.

The group expressed fear they will not get support from Uhuru’s Central Kenya stronghold and TNA, a matter that underpins the frustration that the DP’s camp is facing.

Led by Kericho Senator Charles Keter, the DP’s allies laid bare concerns that he may not become President because there is no guarantee that voters from the populous Mt Kenya region, where Uhuru enjoys massive support, would back his bid.

Unconditional support

“We supported Uhuru’s presidential bid in the 2013 unconditionally. We will also support his second term unconditionally. URP does not expect anything in return from the TNA side of the coalition,” said Keter in Kaptumo in Nandi County, during a fundraiser at the African Gospel Church.

Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen, however, says the DP was still the man to beat and some governors who were rebelling did not have influence even in their own backyards.

“Someone like Isaac Ruto has for a long time depended on the DP for political survival, from 2007 when he was helped to recapture the parliamentary seat to even recently when he was going to lose to Dr Julius Kones. It is the DP who has helped him,” said Murkomen.

Chesumei MP Elijah Lagat acknowledged that the referendum debate has turned out to be complicated for the Deputy President but believes he still commands support in Rift Valley. He said: “The referendum issue is also turning out to be a supremacy battle among leaders. People want to use it to gain political mileage”.

Lagat said the DP had approached and talked to local leaders, adding that the decision to support the referendum or not depends on individual governors.

“He has talked to them, including Isaac Ruto,” said Lagat. Emurua Dikirr MP Johana Ng’eno said: “Among some governors or leadership of counties, there is some kind of rebellion and defiance. We don’t understand this. Some want to antagonise the DP. Some assume they are at the same level with him”.