Rival groups plan for supremacy in Rift Valley

By Standard Team

The battle for political supremacy between Prime Minister Raila Odinga and Cabinet Minister William Ruto in vote-rich Rift Valley Province has gone a notch higher.

A section of civic leaders in South Rift held a meeting to strategise on how to popularise Mr Ruto at the grassroots ahead of the 2012 General Election.

The new development has split the councillors right in the middle with those supporting the Agriculture Minister urging him to ditch ODM and join UDM. The call comes a day after Eldoret Mayor William Ronoh led a goodwill delegation of about 30 councillors from South and North rift regions to home of the Eldoret North MP.

Last month, Rift Valley MPs allied to Raila held a meeting in Mogotio constituency where Nominated MP Musa Sirma was installed as a Tugen elder, a move that angered MPs allied to Ruto.

Yesterday councillors allied to Kipkelion MP Magerer Langat who supports Raila and those backing Ruto held separate strategy meetings to prepare how to popularise the two leaders.

Londiani Town Council Chairman Jackson Kikwai led a group of councillors supporting Ruto for another meeting in Kipkelion to strategies how popularise the minister ahead of the polls.

Development issues

Mr Magerer, flanked by 10 councillors held his meeting at Kipkelion CDF Office while Kikwai and his team also comprising 10 civic leaders held theirs at Chepseon trading centre.

"We are prepared to counter any moves by our MP to discredit Ruto in the region," Lemotit Ward councillor Edward Santos said.

However, yesterday Magerer said it was premature to start campaigning for 2012. He said he was consulting councillors over important development issues in the constituency.

Meanwhile, UDM has said it would not give Ruto a chance to contest for the presidency on the party ticket in 2012.

The party’s leader retired Kenya Army officer John Koech said: "I am the party leader of UDM and I will be gunning for the presidency in 2012. I decamped from ODM in the run up to Ainamoi by-elections to UDM after Ruto frustrated my efforts to contest the seat following the killing of then area MP Kimutai Too," Mr Koech said in a telephone interview with The Standard.

Elsewhere, Assistant Minister and Kajiado Central MP Joseph Nkaissery found himself on the receiving end when councillors from the Ol Kejuado council yesterday accused him of undermining the party and allegedly supporting PNU.

The more than 12 councillors led by former Ol Kejuado Council Chairman Tarayia Kores, accused Mr Nkaissery of failing to popularise the party in the area.

ODM chairman Henry Kosgey chaired the meeting and reportedly pledged to involve party leader Raila to end the stalemate.

And Ford-Kenya will not enter into an alliance with ODM ahead of the 2012 elections, the party’s top members have said. Foreign Affairs Minister Moses Wetangula, Lands Assistant Minister Wakoli Bifwoli and Nominated MP Musikari Kombo indicated that the party would go it alone in 2012.

— Reports by Peter Mutai, Mutinda Mwanzia and Roselyne Obala

 

 

Read all about:

 

 

---