Youth, women leaders complain as William Ruto leaves Rift Valley out of his political campaigns

Keiyo South MP Daniel Rono

Keiyo South MP Daniel Rono says DP Ruto is first galvanising his support in other regions.

Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group

Youth and women leaders from Deputy President William Ruto’s Rift Valley bastion have complained that they are being left out from the hustler programmes he is rolling out countrywide.

Having declared interest in the country's top seat, the momentum of his campaigns has been Mount Kenya, Western and Coast with little going on in the counties of Bomet, Kericho, Nandi, Uasin Gishu, Elgeyo Marakwet and Baringo.

Despite facing a threat from his political nemesis Baringo Senator and Kanu chairman Gideon Moi as well as ODM boss Raila Odinga, who has since launched a charm offensive in the region, DP Ruto is trying to woo other regions to shore up his chances of succeeding his boss President Uhuru Kenyatta.

With the deputy president’s official residence in Karen, Nairobi, turning into a beehive of political activity after Dr Ruto made it his 2022 presidential campaign headquarters, no delegation from the six counties of Rift Valley have been hosted there.

Since January, the DP has had only two empowerment programmes in Rift Valley – that of Sotik in Bomet County and another one in Iten, Elgeyo Marakwet County, both in February.

State House quest

According to Monica Too, a youth from Uasin Gishu, the DP should not assume that the region will fully rally behind his State House quest if he continues to ignore them with his empowerment programmes.

"It is very unfortunate that Dr Ruto thinks that since he is from the region, it is automatic that we will vote for him. In other places like Mount Kenya, he takes millions there to elevate them in terms of business but for us here, he is not giving us anything," Ms Too said yesterday.

"Mama mboga are being given wheelbarrows, why are counties from Rift Valley not not being considered? Our votes for him are not automatic," she added.

For Dominic Kibet from Kesses Constituency, DP Ruto assumption that everything is okay in his backyard when he is taking his hustler campaigns in various parts of the country is the sole reason the region has lagged behind in development.

"Charity begins at home but see what he is doing to us. He has been the DP for nine years but look at our region? This means that if elected, things may not change," Mr Kibet elucidated.

Empowerment programmes

Yesterday, the DP through his director of communication Emmanuel Talam dismissed claims that he had abandoned his turf arguing that his lieutenants have been rolling out various empowerment programmes in the region with his support.

 “That sounds like a Kieleweke argument. I have heard it before. The hustler nation empowerment is all over including Siaya and Homa Bay,” said Mr Talam.

He disclosed that Uasin Gishu Woman rep Gladys Shollei and her Nandi counterpart Tecla Tum have been on the ground rolling out the programmes on the behalf of the DP.

 “Gladys Sholei, Tecla Tum and their fellow women MPs have done several empowerment projects supported by the DP,” said Mr Talam.

Mr Talam disclosed that from early December, DP Ruto will himself hit the ground with empowerment goodies in the areas he has not visited.

For Keiyo South MP Daniel Rono, a staunch ally of Dr Ruto, the DP is still ensuring that other regions rally behind his candidacy before embarking to his political bedrock of Rift Valley.