Reuben Chesire: The man who was allegedly slapped by Ruto

The late Reuben Chesire

Reuben Kiplagat Chesire was a notable Kenyan politician who served as the Member of Parliament for Eldoret North Constituency from 1988 to 1997. He also served as an assistant minister and chairman of the Kenya Dairy Board (KDB).

Chesire, the son of Elizabeth Kobilo Chesire and Isaiah Chemwetich Chesire, weathered many political battles.

However, one incident stood out in his life: the day when William Ruto, who was then the MP for the same constituency, allegedly slapped him at State House.

It was in mid-2002 during a heated campaign season as the general election was nearing. Chesire, who was Ruto’s rival at that time for the Eldoret North MP seat, had visited State House to ask Daniel Moi, the then President, for permission to proceed out of the country for official duties.

The following day, he claimed that Ruto had ‘punched’ him at State House, a confession that was widely reported in the media.

Narrating this incident a few days before he died in 2008, Chesire explained and was quoted by the media saying,

“I have had obstacles all my (political) life. Until today, I have never understood why my enemies have been strongly against me. They have been fighting me using all means, including going physical.”

However, Ruto vehemently denied that such an incident took place.

Other than this single incident, Chesire’s contribution to the Kenyan political, social, and economic scenes was immense.

Apart from serving his constituents as MP and Kenyans as assistant minister and chairman of various departments, he was also a profound farmer.

His love for Ayrshire farming earned him the prestigious position of president of the Ayrshire World, a post he maintained from 1980 to 1984. He was the first African to hold the position, and consequently, the Ayrshire World Conference was held in Kenya.