• Murkomen has defended the DP, accusing Tolgos of using Ruto as a scapegoat for his failures over the last 10 years he has served as governor.
• He says it is the governor who has failed and he should stop invoking the DP’s name in his failures.
Elgeyo Marakwet Governor Alex Tolgos has accused Deputy President William Ruto of sidelining the county for the time he has been the second in command.
He said the DP did not help initiate development projects in the county and that he should have worked hard to ensure the Arror and Kimwarer dams projects were implemented.
"If Deputy President William Ruto loved Elgeyo Marakwet county so much, then Arror Kimwarer dam money would not have been swindled by some individuals,” Tolgos said.
He said the county sought support from the national government to get a university in the area, but the DP failed to back the idea.
“As the DP, he had the capacity to ensure that the government allocated resources for the university,” the governor said.
Tolgos, who is vying for the Senate seat in the county through the Jubilee party ticket, spoke during a series of campaign meetings in the region.
"Lest you say I didn't tell you these things. There will come a time when you will come to know that what I told you was nothing but the truth," he said.
His attack comes just days before the DP tours the county to seek votes for his presidential bid and campaign for UDA candidates.
But Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen has defended the DP, accusing Tolgos of using Ruto as a scapegoat for his failures over the last 10 years he has served as governor.
“If anything, it’s him as governor who has failed. Let him stop invoking the DP’s name in his failures,” he said.
Tolgos has intensified grassroots campaigns to unseat Senator Murkomen in next month's polls.
Murkomen, a close ally of DP Ruto, was almost assured of an easy third consecutive reelection, but Tolgos has spoiled the party for him with grassroots campaigns that have altered the race for the Senate seat.
During previous elections, Murkomen did not even campaign and he was easily reelected. But with the entry of Tolgos, he has been forced to retreat from national campaigns for the DP and camp in Elgeyo Marakwet to fight for political survival.
“Our campaigns are centred on issues affecting our people and not political sycophancy, as has been the case for so many years,” Tolgos said.
The governor urged residents to elect him, saying he would push for additional resources to Elgeyo Marakwet county, which he said received the least allocation from the national government as a result of an unfavourable formula.
Tolgos presented his scorecard, saying it was characterised by prudent management of public resources throughout his tenure.
Political analysts say Murkomen had a smooth ride in previous elections, but this time year’s race is proving to be a battle royal between the two political bigwigs in the region.
Tolgos has also received backing from professionals in the county who have also thrown their weight behind Azimio presidential candidate Raila Odinga.
Analysts say the manner in which Tolgos has stepped up his campaign seems to be threatening Murkomen's chances.