KENYA: A meeting convened by the United Republican Party (URP) to ostensibly check outspoken Bomet Governor Isaac Ruto suffered a setback after majority of Members of the County Assembly (MCA) kept off.
Bomet Senator Wilfred Lesan (centre), URP national Secretary General Fred Muteti (left), and Deputy Speaker of National Assembly Joyce Laboso with other leaders from Bomet at a press conference in Nairobi Tuesday. PHOTO: GOVEDI ASUTSA/STANDARD
Out of the 35 MCAs, only 15 attended the meeting held at URP headquarters in Nairobi chaired by secretary general Fred Muteti and his deputy Leah Ntimama.
Bomet Senator Wilfred Lesan, Deputy Speaker and Sotik MP Joyce Laboso and MPs Ronald Tonui (Bomet Central), Sammy Koech (Konoin) and Bernard Bett (Bomet East) attended while Chepalungu’s Paul Bii sent an apology.
Although sources had indicated that Deputy President William Ruto was to attend the meeting, his spokesman David Mugonyi refuted the reports.
“The Deputy President is on official duty in Mombasa and he is not aware of any URP meeting, neither is he involved in party activities,” Mugonyi said.
The poor attendance by MCAs, some who were in Nairobi, was a clear indicator that Governor Ruto still commands a following. Sources indicated that even among those in attendance, five were loyal to him and had been planted in the meeting.
URP had facilitated all MCA’s travel to Nairobi, but 20 disappeared with most of them allegedly to be hosted by Governor Ruto elsewhere.
Deflect attention
Sources indicated that the group had intended to use the MCAs to devise a strategy to mobilise grassroots leaders against their Governor in a bid to deflect attention from Ruto.
“We plotted to set the MCAs against Ruto to counter the current situation where it is seen that he is fighting the Deputy President but this has not succeeded for today,” a member of URP, who attended the meeting, said.
The source said they resolved to a hold a meeting that will bring together members of the NEC and MPs in a retreat to be held in Naivasha this weekend, to discuss among other things, how to contain the Bomet governor.
Senator Lesan said the meeting had been convened to seek clarification on some issues, take a common stand and declare total support for Ruto.
He specifically singled out the referendum, which is being pushed by Governor Ruto as being top on the agenda. “We are in agreement with our party that as things stand today, the country is not ready for referendum,” Lesan said. Although the senator said the meeting was for all leaders from the county, he was hard-pressed to explain whether they had invited Governor Ruto.
The party was particularly incensed by the decision of the ten nominated MCAs, who stayed away from the meeting that was to strategize on how to ‘finish’ Ruto at the grassroots. Some party chiefs mulled over the possibility of disciplinary action against them.
Governor Ruto confirmed hosting the MCAs saying that even those in attendance were loyal to him. “Only seven of those who attended are loyal to them, but the rest are working with me,” he said.
By GEOFFREY MOSOKU, The Standard
