Bomet URP chairman defends delegates list

Bomet deputy governor Mr. Stephen Mutai who is also the United Republican Party (URP) party’s county Chairman has said a delegates list disputed by some members remains valid.

The list which was prepared by the party officials led by Mr. Mutai is to be used for attendance to the party’s National Delegates Meeting to be held in Nairobi from 8th -10th September 2016.

In a meeting convened by Mr. Mutai at a local hotel on Friday, he rubbished claims that the list consists of individuals who are loyal to Chama Cha Mashinani party which is fronted by area governor Isaac Ruto.

Speaking to the press at the hotel, Mr. Mutai insisted that none of URP officials had defected to CCM as alleged by governor Ruto.

“Isaac only invited members of the public to the meeting and purported that they were URP delegates defecting to his party,” he remarked noting that the people of Bomet were firmly behind URP.

He added, “Ruto is not my boss as he wants Kenyans belief since I was elected the same way he was elected on URP ticket and should take me as his equal and not his subordinate,”.

Mr. Mutai pointed out that governor Ruto would lose his seat unless he vies on a Jubilee ticket in the next general election.

The chairman accused a local MP who he did not name for allegedly hiring youths to disturb operations at the office for his own selfish ends.

“If I was in the office at the time they stormed and shut down the offices, I would have had them arrested.” he said.

The meeting ended as some of party officials addressed the session, some of the youths among them those who shut the office last Thursday stormed into the meeting and the officials had to disperse to a private office to wind up their meeting with the deputy governor insisting that the delegates list had been drawn and forwarded to party’s headquarters for validation.

"The list was prepared by one person and we are not going to recognize it until it is harmonized." Victor Rop a youth representative said.

Reached for comment, Konoin MP Sammy Koech who claimed to be genuine URP party chairman in the County said he was not aware of the list prepared by any other group.

He said the only valid list of delegates was that submitted by the MPs representing the county's five constituencies in the region. 

 

Caption: Bomet county URP office locked after youth supporters stormed it on Thursday demanding action over a list for delegates to attend the party's National Delegates Meeting to be held in Nairobi from 8th-10th September, 2016.