Deputy President William Ruto has assured the Kikuyus and other communities in Rift Valley not to consider themselves as outsiders in the region.
Ruto says all communities in the region have a right to participate in both business and leadership regardless of their tribes.
“I am now old and and elder. I have been around for more than 30 years and I don’t think am getting younger. The truth is that here in Rift Valley we have no visitors or outsiders as some of you say. We are all at home,” said Ruto.
He said the Jubilee government had worked hard to unite the country and residents should not accept to be divided because of politics or other reasons.
“We are all one. We have to do business together and we also have to participate in leadership of this region all of us,” said Ruto.
He said never again will residents of the region engage in politics of hate, tribalism and division which had in the past caused disunity among communities in the region.
“I have one of you, Wainaina Kabaiko, saying that you people are here for business but that is not the position because we do business together and when it comes leadership we all must all work together. We don’t elect anyone on the basis of tribes,” said Ruto.
He was speaking at Yamumbi in Eldoret during the burial of businessman Joseph Karubio. He was joined by Governor Jackson Mandago and Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi.
Ruto outlined development programmes being implemented by the government in the region.
He said a case in court had delayed issuance of title deeds for land owners in Langas area of Eldoret.
The DP said the government had in the last seven years issued more than four million land titles and another round would be done to ensure that all those yet to get the documents would receive by mid next year.
He said designs to upgrade roads in Eldoret were going to help ease traffic jams and help in expansion of the town.
The DP defended the Uasin Gishu County government plan to increase land rates noting that counties had been asked to improve on local revenue collections for their operations effectively.
“However as much as the rates cannot be that which was charged many years ago, we have to do public participation and agree on a n affordable increment of rates”, said Ruto.
Mandago said now that the Senate had accepted Sh316 Billion to be allocated to counties the money should be released faster so that counties can quickly resume operations.
