URP ON FIRE OVER DWALE, RUTO POLITICAL DUEL

Deputy President William Ruto’s party URP is literally on fire. Pressure is now mounting on Ruto to put his house in order following Monday’s public confrontation between Jubilee’s Majority Leader Aden Duale and Bomet Governor Isaac Ruto.

URP supporters from Rift valley region led by URP MPs and governors now say that the public conflict between Duale and Ruto that played out before the DP in Narok was a wake-up call to the URP leader to resolve the conflict.

Pressure is now mounting on DP to urgently convene the party’s National Delegates Conference to reconcile its leaders following the rift occasioned by the divisive referendum campaigns.

And in a strange twist of events, Duale is now in deep trouble with Rift Valley MPs who accused him of disrespecting the region’s leaders, claiming his attack on Governor Ruto followed another earlier in the year targeting Nandi Hills MP Alfred Keter, also for going against Jubilee government.

Ruto has vowed to take legal action against Duale if he did not apologise to him. “This was personal and unnecessary slander on the person of my mother. I am demanding an apology or else I sue him,” he said. West Pokot Governor Simon Kachapin regretted Duale’s remarks saying “such leaders are not adding any value to the Jubilee government”.

Senator Keter termed Duale’s remarks loose talk. “The Deputy President should not allow to be accompanied by such leaders. It is wrong to abuse elected leaders with such allegations,” Keter said.

Chesumei MP Elijah Lagat accused Duale of disrespecting the position taken by Governor Ruto on the referendum push. “We all have varied stands which ought to be respected by other leaders. The incident was unfortunate and not a first by Duale in this region,” he said.

Marakwet East MP Kangogo Bowen said: “Chest-thumping and arrogant Jubilee insiders should be moderated, lest they give those pushing for the referendum an upper hand with their irresponsible utterances that undermine other leaders’ dignity.”

Narok Deputy Governor Evalyn Aruasa said it was time the DP summons the party’s decision making organ to iron out the emerging differences that were a threat to the party’s future.

In a response to Ruto’s demand for an apology, Duale hit back saying he has nothing to apologise for and called on Ruto to appear before the Senate’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to answer to questions raised by the Auditor General on the use of over Sh184 million.

“Ultimately, Isaac Ruto must appear before the Senate PAC led by Bonny Khalwale (Kakamega) and if he fails to convince the Senate, his next stop will be Kamiti Maximum prison,” said Duale.