Among the top leading politicians in Kenya, embattled Deputy President William Ruto is facing the toughest ride in his ethnic backyard only a year after marshalling a whole community bloc vote and delivering it to President Uhuru Kenyatta, where he personally reaped big by being appointed the Deputy President of the Republic of Kenya.
While President Uhuru, CORD firepower Raila Odinga, Wiper’s Kalonzo Musyoka and even newly minted Western Kenya captain Senator Moses Wetangula can easily stride the length and breadth of their backyards, Ruto was over the weekend forced to address an impromptu rally of less than a hundred people near a water tank when he could not, for fear of being heckled and embarrassed, attend a funeral in MP Alfred Keter’s Nandi County.
Last weekend, Ruto lieutenants were evicted from a funeral in Nandi County when a section of URP MPs and other local Ruto surrogates attempted to disparage youthful Nandi Hills MP whose revelations on the Railway Scandal continue to send shock-waves in the Jubilee Alliance.
Here is an eyewitness account of the events which went unreported in Kenya’s mainstream media for the obvious reasons:
United Republican Party MPs allied to Deputy President William Ruto were ejected from a funeral in Nandi over the weekend after they attempted to discredit the Nandi hills mp Alfred Keter in whose constituency the burial was taking place.
Trouble started when the master of ceremonies Philemon Bureti who is the former warrant officer in and a chaplain in the army opened an onslaught on Keter during the burial of octogenerian Joseph Kiprop Lelei in Taito Location.
As soon as he started welcoming the MPs and senators to give their condolences, the crowd started booing the guest as they were
attacking their MP for not collaborating with the Deputy President and antagonising the government.
Hell broke loose when parliamentary leader of majority Aden Duale claimed that Keter was not fit to be even a member of county
assembly claiming that he was a thorn in the flesh and that his politics was below standards.
Nandi senator Stephen Sang was also shouted down when he claimed that Keter had no documents to prove his case against the
construction of the standard gauge rail whose costs is running into trillions. He was shouted down by mourners who told him to his face that he had no experience in politics as he stood on URP, opposed Kosgey and won on
euphoria.Â
Elgeyo Marakwet senator Kipchuma Murkomen had earlier alleged that Keter was unfit to be mp as his attacks undermined the URP and the Jubilee government. There was complete pandemonium and heckling as speeches were interrupted with jeers from mourners who were unaware that Keter was coming on foot.
There were ululations when Keter arrived on foot as the mourners burst into ululation and cheers when they saw him.
It was whispered that deputy president William Rutto was to attend the burial after attending the home coming of Vihiga Mp
Yussuf Chanzu but had secretly send the URP brigade to test the ground.
Keter arrived while senator Murkomen was in the middle of his attacking speech when he received a standing ovation from mourners thereby interrupting the program. Embarrassed with the unfolding scenario, the URP brigade dashed to the waiting chopper as word reached the mourners that Ruto had decided to skip the burial after learning that Keter had decided to attend.
It was later reported that Ruto had instead landed in Aldai after the home coming of Chanzu and addressed an impromptu meeting
near a water tank.
These events have been confirmed by multiple sources to be true. Is Ruto losing the Rift?
Renson Shamala contributed to this article