Turf wars as Rutto, DP Ruto hold parallel rallies in South Rift

Deputy President William Ruto addresses residents in Bomet county, April 1, 2017. /DPPS
Deputy President William Ruto addresses residents in Bomet county, April 1, 2017. /DPPS

The control of votes in the South Rift intensified on Saturday as DP William Ruto and Bomet Governor Isaac Rutto held separate rallies in the region.

The Deputy President was in Bomet town, while the Governor held rallied in Sogoo, Chebirbelek, Triangle, Olmegenyu and Rongena in Narok county.

Rutto took the opportunity to accused Jubilee of failing to honour the 2013 campaign pledges by resettling Mau evictees.

"Why is the Jubilee administration not keen on sorting out issued relating to eviction and resettlement around the Mau complex despite promises ahead of the last general elections," the Chama Cha Mashinani leader said.

He claimed fresh evictions are being carried out by the government in Ndoinet area on the Nakuru-Bomet county border due to the construction of a multi-billion water project, which was opposed by elders.

He said children have been unable to go to school since the evictions commenced.

Rutto denied claims that Jubilee has increased counties' allocation in the budget released by Treasury CS Henry Rotich on Thursday.

"Jubilee should stop peddling lies and engaging in a public relation exercise over the allocation to counties. It is a fact of the Sh2.6 trillion budget the allocation to the 47 county governments is 12 per cent of the budget (not 35 per cent)," he said.

He demanded that the allocation to counties should be pegged at 45 per cent of the budget which he said Jubilee had failed to attain in the last five years.

The DP and President Uhuru Kenyatta have in the past turned the heat on the Governor and accused him of having selfish intentions by blocking development projects in Bomet.

The President said it was unfortunate that the Bomet Governor had turned against his team mates immediately after Jubilee Governors voted for him to become the Chairman of the Council of Governor.

"You gave us the mandate not to fight but to deliver development like this university and the road we are launching today," said the President.

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