Ruto on jubilee vote hunt in Western
Deputy president William Ruto has renewed his efforts to lure voters from the larger former Western province to join the newly formed Jubilee Party of Kenya as his Jubilee coalition launches bid to retain power in next year’s general elections.
The DP who toured sections of Bungoma and Trans Nzoia counties urged residents to join the new political vehicle which he said was not formed for the sake of winning the next general polls but to unite Kenyans and demystify the normal tribal, regional, divisive and selfish political trends that have brought the country to the verge of collapsing.
“If we want to learn from what we witnessed in the past in this country, then we must change the politics of this country and that is why you have seen the head of state with myself and other leaders including governor Lusaka here, the likes of Eugene Wamalwa we have agreed that in 2017 we shall form a party of jubilee that shall unite all Kenyans from all tribes, denominations and regions so that we can plan to change the country together,” said Ruto at Gituamba primary school in Saboti constituency.
He said that the Jubilee party shall bring together supporters of other parties such as TNA, URP, UDF and New Ford Kenya, Ford People, the Bus and the likes shall all join Jubilee Party by 2017.
He noted that for the last fifteen years or so the country has experienced bad politics that saw Kenyans lean on their tribes, regions that saw Kenyans divided and brought about the problems that the country is now facing that he said should change for the better.
“It’s only a fool, it is said who does not learn from his past mistakes and that is why we as Kenyans should be ready to change the politics of this country.
Ruto who was also accompanied by governors, senators and members of the national assembly allied to the ruling Jubilee government challenged the residents of Trans Nzoia and Bungoma to join the new train of leadership and be part of the next government that shall be made in 2017 after winning the polls.
“I want to ask you people of Trans Nzoia, to be part of this journey that we have started and stop being engaged in deals of forming small parties so that you do not miss out as you missed in 2013 polls,” he said.
The DP pointed out that the formation of the Jubilee Party is not for the sake of winning the next general elections but it is meant to unite all Kenyans under one political party.
“When we won the 2013 elections we did not have one party like Jubilee and therefore people should not see the formation of as a party that targets the win the elections alone,” he said.
He rubbished the opposition coalition which he said that the residents of this region should not follow terming it a confused lot that does not have a known leader or flag bearer that cannot match a battle with Jubilee coalition.
“I know in 2013 you people were divided in your voting pattern because there were hopes that the CORD coalition could have won the elections hence some of you voted for CORD as others voted for Jubilee with hopes that if either side wins then you are not left out but this time round you should make good calculations so that you are fully in the government of the day,” Ruto added.
Similar sentiments of wooing the voters from the region to join Jubilee Party came from Elgeyo Marakwet senator Kipchumba Murkomen, Uasin Gishu governor Jackson Mandago and his Bungoma counterpart Ken Lusaka with a host of MPs from Bungoma and Trans Nzoia counties who called on their people to join the new party in the run to 2017 polls.
Mandago said that the people of this region should not sit aside as plans and modalities of forming the next government are going on lest they will be left out and never to demand for a share later on.
“From now going forward, you people of Trans Nzoia and Western to be together with us in the government in 2017 under the Jubilee party and I want to give you a notice because you are always fond of being in the opposition and later coming to the government to demand for good roads, government jobs and what have you, whom do you think will form the government alone and you come to benefit anyhow,” said Mandago.
Murkomen said that the Jubilee party is meant to bring the country to the democracies of some of the Western Countries that have at least two or three major political parties that can harmonize and unite the countrymen.
He challenged the main opposition coalition of CORD to also emulate the Jubilee coalition by dissolving its affiliate political parties to form one major party that can be able to compete the Jubilee party in 2017.
“We want to change this country so that a Sabaot can also become the president of this country, a Rendile can also be president such that one cannot be elected because of his or her tribe or region and others but be like in America, South Africa, Europe and UK among other democracies in the world and that is why we are challenging our friends in CORD to also follow suit by closing their affiliate parties to form one party,” said Murkomen.
Governor Lusaka, MPs Janet Nangabo and Wafula Lazaro of Saboti reiterated their decision of working with and being in the ruling government now and in 2017 for the sake of development for their people.
Celebrated ICC ruling on recanted evidence
At the same time the politicians led by the DP who toured various centers in Mt. Elgon constituency including Toroso, Nomorio and Chepkurukur before touring Gituamba in Saboti celebrated the just completed ruling by the ICC judges on the use of the recanted evidence in the case facing Ruto and radio journalist Joshua Arap Sang.
Ruto said that eventually the truth was emerging and he with Sang shall eventually emerge victorious in a case that he said was built on falsehoods.
Murkomen said that the decision by the judges was long overdue and the DP should not have been subjected to such torture for such a long time and therefore the case should be terminated as soon as possible.
He said that the prosecution team led by Fatou Bensouda should do an honorable thing to call a press conference and declare that the case against the two Kenyans has collapsed especially after the judges ruled that the prosecution should not use recanted evidence.
They also cited the prayers that Kenyans did for the two as one of the reasons that the truth is eventually emerging and rubbished those who dismissed their serial prayers across the country.
The DP who has in the recent past made inroads in many parts of Western in his bid to penetrate politically the region that is perceived to be an opposition zone, promised to have some of the challenges facing the residents such as poor roads, land issues and the IDPs and squatter issues be fixed by the ruling Jubilee coalition.
Among the main issues that emerged in the areas that he toured included poor roads in Trans Nzoia, landlessness that has seen thousands live as squatters after evictions from forests especially in Teldet forest and the Chepyuk settlement scheme in Mt Elgon among other challenges that the leaders including Trans Nzoia senator Henry Ole Ndiema, woman MP Janet Nangabo and Saboti MP Wafula Lazaro call upon the DP to intervene.
During the tour some of the beneficiaries of the fruits of the Jubilee government including people who were nominated to head or be members of various boards of parastatlas were paraded before the crowds in what was seen as a move to show how the region was also included in the ruling government hence reason enough for the residents to support it.
Ruto has for some time channeled his energies and resources to woo Western votes with the help of local leaders such as Water and Irrigation services cabinet secretary Eugene Wamalwa, Governor Ken Lusaka and other leaders such as Musikari Kombo, Joash Wamang’oli, Dr. Noah Wekesa among others who are the pointmen for Jubilee in the region.
Many see his move as one that does not focus on the 2017 polls alone but also the 2022 polls and beyond where he is calculating his steps as to which people and region to work with in his bid for the top seat of presidency after President Kenyatta leaves office in 2022 if he will manage to win his second and last term in next year’s polls.
“I will come and come and come here again and again but do not ask me why because I am your neighbor and you know you can choose a friend but not a neighbor because neighbors are chosen by God and therefore when you see me coming many times here then ask God,” said Ruto as he wound up his speech in Gituamba where he led a funds drive for different churches from Saboti ward.
The DP who donated his own contribution of Ksh. 1 million with half a million from President Uhuru Kenyatta helped raise a total sum of Ksh. 4,974,000 for the different churches from the area.