The rivalry between Bomet Governor Hillary Barchok and former county boss Isaac Rutto has forced DP William Ruto to skip the county in his final presidential rallies.
Both Barchok and Rutto, who is the CCM leader, are fighting for Bomet governorship.
It looks as though Ruto is playing it safe and not endorsing anyone.
Rutto was elected the first Bomet governor in 2013 but lost the seat to Joyce Laboso in 2017. Barchok assumed the seat following Laboso's death in 2019.
Barchok is the UDA candidate while Rutto is seeking to reclaim the seat on his CCM ticket.
Both are allies of the Deputy President, the UDA candidate for president and leaders of Kenya Kwanza.
The tightly contested duel has put Ruto in a difficult situation over who to back.
To gain support from both sides, the Deputy President has been treading carefully, avoiding endorsing either of the two candidates. Backing one will result in loss of votes from the other side.
The last time Ruto visited the county was on January 10 when the differences between the two leaders played out at a meeting at Bomet stadium.
Rutto supporters shouted down and booed any leader advancing UDA.
DP Ruto and Rutto decided to bury their differences following the 2017 general election after they charted different paths.
The two were instrumental in forming the now-defunct URP party and establishing the Jubilee government.
Immediately after Ruto was elected DP and Rutto the governor, the rivalry began.
The fall-out led the former governor to form CCM and use it to defend his seat, but he lost to Laboso.
Rutto made a risky decision and supported ODM leader Raila Odinga’s presidency in 2017 and was one of the Nasa principals.
Rutto and his team have been opposing six-piece UDA voting and have been supporting mix-and-match, saying elections should be based on individuals and not parties.
In his campaign schedule, the Deputy President will hold a mega rally at the historic Kapkatet grounds in Kericho county on Sunday.
The rally targets the Kipsigis community in Bomet and Kericho counties, where the DP will use the event to consolidate his support base.
Kapkatet grounds is known for endorsing leaders where the Kalenjin community usually makes major political announcements.
In 2007, ODM Raila Odinga was endorsed as a Kalenjin elder and given the name ‘Arap Mibei’ at the venue and went ahead to tackle the former President Mwai Kibaki in the polls.
He came in second.
In 2012, President Uhuru Kenyatta and DP Ruto were given blessings on the same grounds and won the 2013 general elections and formed the Jubilee government.
Barchok has been on record asking Bomet county residents not to vote for the former governor, arguing he performed dismally during his tenure.
However, he said the move by Rutto to back the DP should not provoke residents to endorse him as the right person to lead the county.
Rutto accused Barchok of failing to initiate meaningful developmental projects, and taking credit for the projects started during his own term.
“It is sad the governor has made the county lag behind in development and Bomet is now among the worst devolved units when it comes to poverty," Rutto said.
The former Council of Governors chairman called on the residents to vote for him, saying he is ready once again to take the county to where it belongs at the next level of development.
(Edited by V. Graham)
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