Ruto’s political forays in Coast paying off

Deputy President William Ruto and former cabinet minister Chirau Ali Mwakwere

By BENARD SANGA

KENYA: Deputy President William Ruto’s political charm offensive in Coast that has been highly skeptical on the Jubilee administration is nearing a breakthrough following local political leaders’ sudden about-turn on several issues.

Coast leaders have also changed their heart over the issuance of title deeds in the region which they were opposed to earlier, demanding t the documents be authenticated by the National Land Commission first.

The region’s leadership has also changed their stand on the cases facing President Uhuru Kenyatta and Ruto at the International Criminal Court, demanding their withdrawal.

They have also gone a notch higher to rekindle the 1960 political pact between the Coast and Rift Valley that saw the formation of the Kenya African Democratic Union KADU by former President Daniel Moi and Ronald Ngala.

The politically fraught moment signaling Coast leaders’ apparent renewed interest to work with Ruto came during the homecoming party of Kilifi East MP Mustapha Iddi Salim where speaker after speaker made it clear that the region’s support for ODM for the 2017 election would not be not be ‘automatic’.

“We urge you to continue working with us. You are aware Coast residents are good people when it comes to returning a favour,” said Coalition for Reforms and Democracy CORD Chief Whip and Kilifi North MP, Gideon Mung’aro.

He said Coast region’ political leaders were crafting a political formula that would bring them together to enable them negotiate with other leaders from the region adding that “in the last election we proved to those who have all thought that we cannot vote as a bloc wrong.”

The Coast region voted overwhelmly for CORD presidential candidate Raila Odinga on March 4, 2013 elections mainly because his stand on land injustices and devolution.

Coast’s 1.2 million voters also voted in leaders from CORD constituent parties in the region’s six counties, with all governors coming in from CORD coalition. Majority of parliamentarians and senators are also from CORD.

But there have been concerted efforts by the Coast Parliamentary Group (CPG) to bring the region’s leaders together and speak with one voice in abide to increase their bargaining power at the national level.

According to Mung’aro, who is also the current Coast Parliamentary Group chairman, the y would also reach-out to Governors, senators and county representatives to chart out a common political stand for the future.

Speaker after speaker during Mustapha Idd’s homecoming party demanded the withdrawal of Ruto’s case from the ICC saying that the country was now ready to burry what happened in 2007 and move on. This is contrary to CORD’s stand. The coalition has been  rooting for accountability over the 2007 post-election violence.

“If the ICC has said it does not have a case against the President. We don’t see any reason why they should also continue demanding that the Deputy President should attend the trial. We demand that the ICC drops charges against the deputy president to enable us to move on to develop this country,” said Mvita MP Abdulswamad Sharrif Nassir during the meeting.

Former industrial court judge who is also Kilifi Senator Stewart Madzayo said that from the evidence provided in the Ruto case so far “indicates that there is no case and that the prosecutor is out to frustrate our deputy president but I urge him to be strong as the case would collapse soon.”

Three tours

Ruto has made up to three highly publicised tours at the Coast region since the Jubilee coalition assumed power in April last year. Other than the official functions, the Deputy President has always found time to attend what is seen as social or political function to popularise the jubilee coalition’s agenda.

He recently visited the Coast region with a tub of goods, revealing that the Government had initiated talks individuals with huge chunks of land to settle squatters. “Money has been set aside to buy Mikanjuni settlement scheme to settle the over 400 families and these initiatives would continue to other settlement schemes with similar problems,” said Ruto.

The DP also said the exercise of issuing title deeds in the region would commence in June as part of the Government’s new move to distribute over 3 million title deeds across the country.

The Government, Ruto announced, had also allocated Sh.3 billion to the region to boost food production and that 10,000 acre pilot project was underway in Galana-Kalula Settlement Scheme, Kilifi County.

He said that the project would yield over 30 million bags of maize and alleviate the hunger problem the region has been experiencing in the recent years.

The Deputy President cited the launch of the 1.2 trillion standard gauge railway line from Mombasa, the Lamu Port Southern-Sudan Ethiopia Transport Corridor and the ongoing capacity expansion at the port of Mombasa as a clear indication that the jubilee government was not discriminating against the region.