Gideon explains root cause of his differences with DP Ruto

KANU chairman Gideon Moi Wednesday said his political differences with Deputy President William Ruto are not personal, but emanate from unfulfilled development promises.

The Baringo senator, who castigated Ruto over insults allegedly directed at other Rift Valley leaders, also blamed the DP's allies, led by Elgeyo-Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen, for defending him even when he is wrong.

Speaking at Bartolimo in Baringo County, Gideon said Ruto has been using his visits in Baringo, Nandi, Kericho and other parts of the region to tarnish his name to get sympathy votes. He said he will work with Ruto only if the development promises are fulfilled.

The senator said he is only concerned with the interests of Kenyans and not any group or individual and asked his political competitors not to feel bitter.

"Murkomen, get it from me, even if you come to Baringo with ten helicopters and several senators, people of this county have made up their minds,'' he said.

"Murkomen openly told me at the Senate building that he was Ruto's sycophant, his statement really shocked me, given that our role as elected leaders is to serve the interests of the people not an individual."

Murkomen, who had taken the podium earlier, told Gideon to leave KANU and join Jubilee, which didn't go down well with the Baringo senator.

"What Ruto is doing is exactly what the second president did before the death of Jomo Kenyatta. Gideon, I have no problem supporting you after Ruto. The deputy president deserves respect and that is exactly what we are asking from KANU," said Murkomen.

Gideon, however, told him off, saying he was the best placed to understand the former Head of State.

Wednesday, Kanu and Jubilee politicians who shared the same platform differed sharply over the Jubilee development record.

Emurua Dikirr MP Johana Ngeno said Jubilee should blame itself for failing to fulfill promises it made during the 2013 General Election.

He said Gideon deserves unconditional respect especially from people who never voted for him.

However, Baringo Central MP Sammy Mwaita refuted Ngeno's claims, saying Jubilee had funded several development projects.

Bomet Governor Isaac Ruto asked Kalenjin community to resist attempts to force them to cast their votes in a certain manner.

The Chama Cha Mashinani governor said he would not sit and watch people of Rift Valley being "auctioned" by the DP.

Later, Gideon joined, opposition leaders, who included ODM deputy party leaders Wycliffe Oparanya and Hassan Joho, at a fundraiser in Emurua Dikirr.

The politicians accused Jubilee Government of undermining devolution and asked it to prepare to leave office after 2017 elections.

"The biggest victim of Jubilee's bad leadership is devolution and that is enough reason to hold them accountable," said Oparanya.

Gideon said it would not be business as usual come 2017 adding that Rift Valley would chat the way forward and it was time to make a wise decision.