For the second time in less than a month, Deputy President William Ruto hosted leaders from Western Kenya at his Sugoi home in Uasin Gishu County, weeks before the anticipated merger of Jubilee parties.
This also came a day after he hosted a delegation of more than 2,000 people from Kisii and Nyamira Counties in a move seen as a Jubilee strategy to consolidate support in Opposition strongholds.
The DP had a pre-Christmas meeting with more than 6,000 delegates from North, South and Central Rift. He later visited Vihiga, Busia, Bungoma, Kakamega and Trans Nzoia to market the Jubilee Party.
The meetings have, however, elicited criticism from Opposition circles as well as from leaders opposed to the merger of Jubilee parties.
During yesterday's closed-door meeting, Ruto told the delegation that every Kenyan has a right to see him. “I am the DP of Kenya and every Kenyan has a right to see me. Ignore those asking why I am hosting delegations,” said Ruto.
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Bungoma governor Ken Lusaka and MPs Benard Shinali (Ikolomani), Dan Wanyama (Webuye West), Emmanuel Wangwe (Navakholo), Ben Washiali (Mumias East), Boniface Otsula (Bumula), former MPs Noah Wekesa, Justus Kizito and Wycliffe Osundwa attended yesterday’s meeting. Ruto told the delegation: “We are trying to build nationhood by merging parties that work together to form Jubilee Party that will have everyone on board. It will not be a tribal grouping.” The DP challenged CORD to follow suit and unite the country by getting rid of tribal parties in the coalition.
While criticising CORD, Ruto said: “We will win the next election because CORD has no national agenda other than discussing personalities and insulting other leaders. All they talk about is William Ruto and fund-raisers. Let them provide an alternative agenda for Kenyans.”
During the meeting, Kizito said: “We are a new generation of Luhya leaders and we ask the old guard to give way to those of us who want to join other Kenyans in forming one government. We are not cursed to be in the Opposition.”
Populous community
Otsula said the Luhya is the second most populous community and that they would join hands with those likely to win. He added that they cannot continue teaming up with losers. Wanyama said the next election will be a two-horse race, saying: “Those who want to join the Opposition can choose to remain in CORD because the Jubilee Party will win and form the next government”.
Shinali said he was an ODM supporter and later joined UDF but is now heading to Jubilee Party. Wangwe said: “We are not junior politicians. That is an insult to those who elected us. To those who think we have been bought, let them know we made our cash a long time before they joined politics”.
