Two Rift Valley MPs want a meeting between DP William Ruto’s allies and rebels from the region to discuss his 2022 presidential ambitions.
They have asked Soy MP Caleb Kostany, chairman of the Rift Valley Parliamentary Group, to urgently convene the meeting because of widening differences between the allies and critics of the DP.
“The 2022 succession politics has caused a major split among leaders in this region and it's urgent that we meet and discus some of the burning issues that need to be ironed out so that we speak with one voice," Mosop MP Vincent Tuwei said.
He said the differences between the leaders would definitely affect Ruto’s ambition to succeed President Kenyatta in 2022.
“Kostany should move with speed and call for the meeting that will among other issues discuss and deliberate on the support for Deputy President William Ruto’s presidential ambitions,” Tuwei told journalists in Eldoret town.
Reached for a comment, Kostany however declined to speak on the matter.
Baringo Woman Representative Gladwell Cheruiyot has also called for dialogue among leaders in the region, arguing that the simmering differences were embarrassing the community.
“We are urging our leaders especially the men to go slow and stop the ongoing politics that is dividing our people. We are fighting over 2022 politics yet we do not even know whether we will be alive. It’s all in the hands of God and we should slow down," Cheruiyot said in Moiben.
She said there was a need for leaders to meet and dialogue over more important issues affecting residents in the region.
“We need to meet even with the help from elders so that we can discuss our issues as a region and then go out to request for support from other Kenyans”, she said.
Tuwei said it was crucial for elected leaders in the DP’s backyard to speak with one voice regarding his 2022 presidential ambition. The Mosop MP said the region would have weaker political bargaining strength if leaders are reading from different scripts.
“DP Ruto is eyeing the presidency in 2022 but it does not augur well for him that leaders in his own backyard are bickering every day,” Tuwei said.
He cautioned his colleagues to stop branding each other as rebels or allies of the DP yet they need one another for the region to succeed.
“We should not be condemning those with divergent views as rebels. We should instead seek a forum to hear what they have to say and possibly unite,” Tuwei said.
Ruto allies led by Kostany and Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi have accused rebel MPs including Joshua Kuttuny (Cherangany), Alfred Keter (Nandi Hills), Sila Tiren (Moiben) and William Kamket (Tiaty) of teaming with Ruto’s political enemies to sabotage his 2022 ambitions.
Sudi said the rebels were working to paint Ruto as bad ahead of the 2022 polls.
But speaking in Moiben, Kamket who is a harsh critic of Ruto said the Rift Valley region could find itself in the Opposition if residents do not clearly read the political trends in the country. He said Jubilee was likely to collapse before 2022.
