Ruto headache as Rift Valley allies eye share of State jobs

Days after Deputy President William Ruto was sworn-in, focus has now shifted to how he will manage expectations in his backyard on public appointments.

The DP will be navigating stormy waters in rewarding his loyalists while wooing regions whose support he hopes to attract in his 2022 presidential bid.

And in a taste of the headache ahead, political noises are already being heard in his backyard over the final list of Jubilee nominees to the East Africa Legislative Assembly (EALA).

Of the 39 applicants to EALA from North Rift and South Rift, only four made it to the final list of 15 to be vetted by the National Assembly.

They are Irene Masit (Elgeyo Marakwet), Eunice Karanja (Trans Nzoia), Florence Jematia (Baringo) and Jackson Kosgei (Baringo).

The DP’s supporters say the slots are not enough even as they demand that one of their own be included on the list.

“We need more because we worked hard by giving him 95 per cent of our votes and such slots should go to the people who supported him, not just anybody,” says Keiyo South MP Daniel Rono.

Kesses MP Swarup Mishra says, “We have the DP at the top office and it is ideal that we also get individuals who will get such positions in Cabinet and EALA representation.”

Nandi Senator Kiprotich Cherargei asked the DP to ensure the North Rift region is well represented in Cabinet and other appointments.

“The President and his deputy have a free hand to appoint a Cabinet on merit, professionalism and those with a touch on leadership. There will also be regional balancing but we will feel honoured as Jubilee strongholds to get more slots,” he said.

There is already a push in some regions such as Meru to have their own picked for key slots in government, which means the DP’s headache is shared by President Uhuru Kenyatta who is already facing an acid test in uniting a deeply fractured country in the wake of the last elections.

It will be interesting to see how the two leaders navigate the stormy waters and retain their core support, while accommodating other regions.

Senate Majority Leader Kipchumba Murkomen says although the Rift Valley deserves slots in public appointments, they should look at the bigger picture in the political journey.

“We have not been sidelined as many might want to say so. There are many key slots which qualified persons will secure,” he said.

The senator says unlike other regions which are currently campaigning for their own in the distribution of Cabinet slots, the Rift Valley has direct connections with the President and his deputy who can be trusted to secure its interests.

“You should not expect us to drum support via the media, our relations with the presidency has always given us a chance to pass our suggestions with ease,” he says.

Keiyo South MP Daniel Rono says the appointment should not raise any storm since devolution has ensured resources have been taken directly to the grassroots.

“To be appointed a CS is no longer a plum job like being a governor who controls billions of shillings and employs their people. But the presidency should now reward areas that voted them back to power and retain those who performed well in the past five years,” says Rono.

Moi University lecturer Duncan Omanga says President Kenyatta and DP Ruto cannot afford to leave out other regions in sharing of key positions.

Diversity crisis

“We are currently witnessing a diversity crisis in appointments simply because there is a huge scrutiny when it comes to applicants from Ruto and Kenyatta’s regions. The duo would rather give slots to other regions for the sake of posterity in political alignments,” says Dr Omanga.

Complicating matters for the DP is that some leaders are already calling for the dropping of some leaders in favour of others form the Rift Valley region.

Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi says only Treasury CS Henry Rotich, his Agriculture counterpart Willy Bett and Energy CS Charles Keter should be retained.

“Only the three have performed. The rest should be shown the door so that we can get new faces,” says Sudi.

Endebess MP David Pukose admits that Jubilee has a herculean task in making everybody happy.

“The DP and the President have a tough balancing act. However, constituencies allied to Jubilee should not give pressure to the duo, especially if they have been given a slot. We need to foster the spirit of accommodation” he says.

The DP will also be hard pressed to appease the North Rift and South Rift divides, both of which are angling for his attention.