Nakuru residents furious with DP Ruto, chase away Jubilee officers

Nakuru residents cover the picture of Deputy President William Ruto on a Jubilee Party campaign car used in a rally on October 14, 2016. /AMOS KERICH
Nakuru residents cover the picture of Deputy President William Ruto on a Jubilee Party campaign car used in a rally on October 14, 2016. /AMOS KERICH

A section of Nakuru residents who are angry with Deputy President William Ruto kicked out Jubilee officials on a mission to publicise the party's event slated for Saturday.

The team which was curtain raising for the official opening of a JP office in Kuresoi South were forced to abort their mission after angry residents turned against them.

The residents of Keringet chased away the officers who had arrived at the area in Jubilee branded cars, saying they don't want to hear anything to do with the DP.

They accused Ruto of punishing them by starving the area of development on grounds that area MP Zakayo Cheruiyot walked out of the DP's camp.

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Angry locals asked the team leader to go away since they are not interested in Jubilee Party affairs, some of them threatening to defect to CCM or Cord.

The crowd chanted: "Go away. Go away. Ruto has neglected us,"

"We will look foolish to support Jubilee yet we are suffering. Go and tell those who sent you that we are not with them," the locals told the JP members.

"President Uhuru Kenyatta and Ruto have been visiting other constituencies but have ignored us," one of the youths said, further accusing Ruto of acting immaturely in the face of their differences with Cheruiyot.

The area MP is among leaders who rebelled against the DP at the height of calls that the Jubilee affiliate parties merge into one outfit ahead of the 2017 polls.

The locals said they cannot be slaves in their own country, further citing that they have not benefited from the national cake because of frosty relationship between DP Ruto and Cheruiyot.

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Elvis Mutai, one of the protesters, said: "We stood solidly behind the Deputy President yet the national government has not initiated in this region five years since they assumed office,"

"We are tired being fooled to support a party that ignores people. We better support either CCM or CORD instead of persevering inside the government," Mutai said.

Pleas by the JP officers to be allowed to proceed with their planned publicity were in vain.

Locals demanded to know why they were being 'whipped' just because their MP walked of DP’s camp for reasons they did not know.

"Go and tell the Deputy President that we are not joining Jubilee because he has failed us. IDPs are still in camps in Kuresoi. Molo-Olenguruone main road remains impassable and construction of Olenguruone stadium has stalled for three years," John Kigera, a resident, said.

They threatened to intensify rebellion if the Jubilee Administration continues to neglect the region in matters development.

Cheruiyot had earlier said that the Jubilee party will not go beyond 2017, asking DP Ruto to think otherwise about his 2022 presidential bid.

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