DP Ruto woos voters in his rivals backyard in Bomet

Deputy President William Ruto on Friday visited Bomet and Gusii counties calling the electorate to abandon opposition politics if their regions were to develop faster.

In Bomet, he told the residents to dump Chama Cha Mashinani, Governor Isaac Ruto’s outfit and join Jubilee coalition.

He said there was no need for voters from the region to abandon the government when other voting blocs were warming their way into the ruling coalition.

“I had been working tirelessly to win the support of other regions that had not backed our bid in the last elections. It will be bad that I am pleading with my very own people when other regions had already shown considerable support for us,” said the DP.

He said leaders from Western and the Coast had already thrown their weight behind Jubilee and it would be bad that elements from the area were bent on forming political outfits that are likely to spoil the party for the coalition during the elections in 2017.

He said more than 15 leaders from both the western and coast region have already pledged to support the Jubilee coalition’s re-election bid.

The Deputy President was accompanied by Energy Cabinet Secretary Charles Keter, National Assembly Deputy Speaker Joyce laboso and legislators Wilfred Lesan (Bomet senator), Cecilia Ngetich (Bomet Woman Representative), Ronald Tonui (Bomet Central), Sammy Koech (Konoin MP), Bernard Bett (Bomet East MP), Paul Bii (Chepalungu MP) and Ben Momanyi (Borabu MP).

Former Constitutional Implementation Commission chairman Charles Nyachae and East African Legislative Assembly member Joseph Kiangoi were also present.

Mr Nyachae pledged to marshal the support of the Kisii voters for the ruling coalition, saying the two Gusii Counties — Nyamira and Kisii — have reaped immensely from the current government.

“We have benefitted from Jubilee and we want to continue getting development and therefore,  I will move and ensure that we in Kisii vote Jubilee next year,” said the former CIC boss.

Mr Ruto said the ruling coalition promises more development for the country, urging the electorate not to get swayed by Cord’s political theatrics.

“We are not luring anyone to support Jubilee. It is our agenda that is attracting them and when leaders move in to support Jubilee no one should get suspicious,” added the Deputy President.

He said the coalition’s popularity keeps rising and told the Opposition to forget an easy ride to State House.

Governor Ruto who had been busy hawking his Chama Cha Mashinani to the electorate was conspicuously absent, highlighting the political enmity between the two.

DP Ruto dismissed Cord's brand of politics as driven by malice, ethnic hatred and false accusations at the expense of improving the welfare of Kenyans.

"Some people only excel at blowing whistles, focusing on ethnic divisions and blowing whistles. Why can't they sell their development agenda to Kenyans instead of unnecessary tribal sideshows?” DP Ruto said.

Mr Ruto was speaking at Isoge, Borabu sub-County in Nyamira during the launch of the Last Mile electricity project.

Nyamira County Governor John Nyagarama, who hosted the DP, appealed to the State to help them set up a university in the County.

The deputy Head of State said that the remaining 15 primary schools yet to be supplied with power in Nyamira would be connected in the next three months.

The DP later visited Kisii town where he opened the Agricultural Society of Kenya show.

(Editing by Joel Muinde)