Youths heckle DP Ruto as Nandi leaders refuse to attend his function

Deputy President William Ruto met resistance in some areas he visited, with leaders snubbing his functions and youths booing him.

Yesterday when he visited Garissa, he was met with hostility by some youths who shouted at him saying they preferred Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho as their presidential candidate in 2022.

Those opposed to the DP said many residents of North Eastern region were unhappy with Jubilee for its high-handedness in its fight against terror as those suspected of having links with terrorists have disappeared after being taken away by people believed to be security agents.

The youths who were chanting anti-Jubilee slogans wore orange t-shirts associated with ODM, an Opposition party. They also cited corruption scandals in Government.

During his visit, Mr Ruto launched a Sh5 billion tarmac road linking Ijara constituency to Wema in Coast region. He was accompanied by Lagdera MP Mohamed Shidiye, Ijara lawmaker Ibrahim Abass  and Mandera East MP Mohamed Mohamud.

On Sunday there was a "revolt" in Nandi County when local leaders stayed away from an event convened by Governor Cleophas Lagat and presided over by Ruto.

Only one MP and the governor accompanied the DP during an interdenominational fund- raiser for churches at Kurgung High School in Mosop constituency, the backyard of the county chief.

Senator Stephen Sang, Woman Representative Zipporah Kering and five MPs skipped the event. Only area MP Stephen Bitok, County Assembly Speaker Edwin Cheluget, former MP David Koech some MCAs and a host of aspirants for various seats shared a podium with the DP.

Ruto had earlier attended a function in Kericho before proceeding to the neighbouring Aldai constituency in Nandi where he was accompanied by area MP Cornelly Serem, his Tinderet counterpart Julius Melly, Mr Sang and the governor during the presentation of title deeds to residents of Bonjoge.

But when Ruto proceeded to Kurgung, it was only governor Lagat who proceeded with him and were received by Bitok, the Mosop legislator.

Yesterday, Bitok, who has been out of the country, said the governor was the convener of the event.

He said: "Although it is the discretion of a leader to attend any function, we normally attend functions as a group," said Bitok.

Sources said that after conclusion of issuance of title deeds at Bonjoge, the legislators present dispersed, leaving Lagat accompanying the DP.

Sang said: "The governor has never been a team player. The governor needs to ask himself tough questions as to why people snubbed the function, it means he has isolated himself."

The senator said after accompanying the DP at the function at Bonjoge, he attended the International Day for Disability in Kapsabet town.

"I had to attend this specific and special function of people with disabilities who have been neglected by the county government," said Sang adding that he had given in to pressure for locals to run for governorship in Nandi come 2017.

He said the governor was a "lone ranger in presiding over activities of the county".

Meanwhile, over 10 Jubilee MPs have told CORD leaders to stop intimidating the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission IEBC as it prepares for the next General Election.

The MPs said the constant claims by CORD leader Raila Odinga and his supporters that IEBC will rig elections showed they had sensed defeat.

The threat to the commission, the MPs added, undermined the smooth preparations for the elections and was a precursor by the Opposition to cause chaos after they lose the elections.

The Jubilee leaders, who spoke at a function presided over by Ruto in Garissa town, wondered why Mr Raila was attacking the commission when he participated in talks to reform it.

The leaders said the CORD chief should choose between contesting for the election and managing IEBC.

The leaders included Yusuf Haji, Aden Duale, Barre Shill, Beatrice Elachi, Rachel Shebesh, Ali Wario, Mohammed Shidiye, Abdiaziz Ali Farah, Fatuma Dullo, Sonia Birdi, Muhamud Mohammed and Abdi Noor.

The DP called on politicians to play their role in ensuring the 2017 elections are peaceful, free and fair. He asked leaders to desist from inciting the public against IEBC.

The lawmakers wondered why CORD was backtracking on an agreement of reforms agreed on the commission.

They said the CORD leader cannot be a presidential candidate and be in charge of the electoral commission at the same time.

"Even before IEBC starts preparations for the elections he started talking about rigging of elections. We are asking him to tell us if he wants to run IEBC or run for elections," said Garissa Senator Yusuf Haji.

The senator also cautioned Opposition leaders to desist from playing games with Kenyans by going behind agreements.

Mr Shill described the opposition leader as a person who blames his tools after failing to accomplish a task.

"A bad carpenter blames his tools and we know that he is trying everything he can to ensure that violence occurs during the elections but that will not be allowed," said Mr Shill.