Governor Ruto, deputy feud escalates as election nears

Bomet Governor Isaac Ruto

The feud between Bomet Governor Isaac Ruto and his deputy Stephen Mutai is playing up again several months after the Number Two went against the wishes of his boss and backed the merger of Jubilee-affiliated parties.

The two county bosses are sniping at each other again at a time when Mutai has attached himself to the governor's nemesis Deputy President William Ruto who has made no secret about his quest to have his United Republican Party merge with Jubilee Party (JP).

Mutai now says he wants to challenge Isaac Ruto for the governorship in the 2017 General Election. Last Monday governor Ruto responded by accusing Mutai of absconding duty, and asked him to resume his role within three days or lose the privileges that come with his office.

"I have not seen him (Mutai) for the last one year. He has neglected his duties and is now going around gossiping. He wants me to assign him duties, yet he has not reported to work for more than a year. He must return to work immediately," said Ruto in Konoin last Sunday.

But Mutai fired back and said the governor had been frustrating him before he dumps him ahead of the 2017 elections. The two feuding leaders are joined at the hip as the Constitution bars the governor from firing his deputy. Mutai says that governor Ruto was able to secure the support of voters from Bomet Central in the 2013 poll because he was picked as running mate.

"The residents were concerned that he may not understand issues that affect tea farmers and preferred his rival Kones (Julius). It is sad that he has chosen to frustrate me and make locals believe that I am a burden to his government," Mutai lamented.

The deputy governor says he feels frustrated because funding for office operations for deputy governor have been halted.

"He controls the budget for tea and newspapers for my office," Mutai said.

However, governor Ruto dismissed these claims and said if Mutai continues to stay away from his office, a county executive will be selected to sit in his office.

Mutai has been accused of brining trouble to himself by undermining his boss who has rejected proposals to dissolve URP and merge with JP, a political party that President Uluru Kenyatta wants to use to see reelection in 2017.

"Mutai has openly criticised his boss for attacking the DP in previous public functions," said Dr Philip Chebunet, a political analyst and scholar.

The mistrust between the two officials was exacerbated last year when Mutai led a delegation of residents and elders who visited the DP in a move that was seen as an effort to undermine governor Ruto.