By Scophine Otieno
A narrative is being peddled by some politicians that Raila and Odinga and his Luo community owes DP Ruto and the Rift Valley votes as a return favor in regards to 2007 election in which hustler was one of the five pentagon members that campaign for Raila then the ODM presidential candidate.
The Nyanza/Luos owes Ruto is a tune the region will not dance to especially if the lyrics are hinged on matters of “returning favors.”
It is a cinch that Ruto stood with Raila during the 2007 elections and afterwards, Raila Odinga and in extension Luo Nyanza owes Ruto absolutely nothing, the debts if any had been paid both by the community and its top leader.
Raila when he became Prime Minister during the grand coalition following his stolen victory paid his debts to Rift Valley by appointing many of their sons and daughters to prime positions in government, unlike Uhuru who appointed 70% his Mt Kenya tribesmen and gave DP Ruto only 25% in 2013 and 2017, Raila gave Kalenjins more than 40% of his share of government; DP Ruto got the biggest Agriculture and Livestock development Ministry that he chose himself and which had more than 40 Parastatals that he controlled as minister.
Others appointed ministers were: Prof. Helen Jepkemoi Sambili, Dr Sally Kosgey, Frankline Bett, Musa Sirma, and Henry Kosgey. Also in the list were several prominet Kalenjins who got appointed as PSs, ambassadors, commissioners into constitutional commissions, parastatal head, military and Police etc.
Kalenjins should quit selective amnesia and wear the cloak of truth. No one chased DP Ruto from ODM. The vindictive man (DP Ruto) who practices politics of wielded daggers left the party in a fit of pique because Musalia Mudavadi had been appointed as a Deputy Prime. Mudavadi at the time deserved the position by virtue of having been Raila’s running mate.
Let it also go on record that it was Raila Odinga who advised an estwhile reluctant Ruto to join the presidential race and thus pushed him to go round Rift Valley seeking to be the community’s pointman, the former PM helped him cement the Kalenjin kingpin and Ruto was once quoted as he owes Jakom for pushing him to go national. For those who remember events at Karasani when Ruto emerged 3rd after Raila and Musalia in the ODM nominations, he praised Raila and confirmed that he was to campaign for him to return favour for helping him to emerge as Kalenjin Kingpin. Thus hakuna deni !
Even before he left and formed his UDM, he became a mole who joined the Kibaki’s side of administration in undermining the then Prime Minister and would often side with the PNU legislators with an impeccable case in point is when he sided with Kibaki and the then Deputy Prime Minster on Kibaki’s side Uhuru Kenyatta in frustrating attempts to resettle non Kikuyu and Kalenjins IDPs.
As we speak, Luo IDPs have never been compensated unlike Kikuyu and Kalenjins who got lands and lump sum amounts of money that buoyed their attempts at starting life after the post election violence.
Remember it was Ruto who poisoned minds of Kalenjins by opposing Mau eviction a policy that had been agreed in the cabinet. DP Ruto as Bsc graduate in Botany and Zoology understands importance of Mau but chose to side with Mt Kenya to set up Raila against the Kalejin community. Ever wondered why the Masai who are rightful owners of the Mau forest stuck with Raila todate? Well, Ruto should chase after Mt Kenya mafia to return favour, Luos paid long time ago
It is also an open secret that Mama Ngina Kenyatta paid Ruto to join Uhuru in Jubilee coalition bringing on board his new outfit URP ahead of the 2013 race. Luo community has had to stomach the painful insults Ruto has rained on Raila-mganga, ule jamaa wa vitendawili and he only went slow after the repeat elections when he realized the Mzee could still beat them hands down and of course he knows he is out for votes in line with his own ambitions.
Ruto and his partners in crime denied the community a deserved stab at the Presidency when his bot, one Davis Chirchir led the technical team that stole Raila’s votes in 2013 and 2017.
We know he is using poll losers in Nyanza bitter at ODM to test waters if Luo Nyanza would support him, they must and should change tact- Raila and Luo owe Ruto and Rift Valley nothing. Let him seek forgiveness from Raila and Luos first then beg us for votes.
This article was first published on KNATV
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