His revelations were collaborated by an aide to one of the members of parliament who was privy to the goings on, social and political pundit Kimutai Sirma was overwhelmed by the larges displayed by DP Ruto, and immediately sent a tweet and a Facebook post thus;
200k was available for MPs who attended today’s press conference to attack Bomet Governor Isaac Ruto following his remarks that counties should receive 40% of Budget instead of 15%….
Isaack Rutto and Kipchumba Murkomen are at loggerheads with their Jubilee principals due to the positions they have taken on devolution. The two; Rutto and Murkomen, both belong to the Kalenjin dominanted URP wing of the Mt Kenya dominated Jubilee Alliance. The two also occupy sensitive positions with the former chairing the Governors’ summit and the later chairing the senate devolution committee.
It is the youthful senator from Elgeyo Marakwet- the Hon Kipchumba Murkomen, who, few weeks ago, caused a stir when he openly hinted that President Kenyatta and his handlers were using parliament to scuttle devolution. Senator Murkomen enjoys a good rapport with both CORD and Jubilee senators, and he is seen as a rising star in Kalenjin politics! This is where the problem stems.
Isaack Rutto, perhaps the best URP strategist ever, earned accolades in the 10th parliament as one of the best debaters, most informed and straight shooting MPs. It is an open secret that Rutto’s brains are igrained in Ruto’s success; he was the real strategic force behind Ruto.
“We still don’t understand why Isaack chose to be governor, parliament will never be the same again, Isaack was a force in the 10th parliament, he always did his homework well, whenever on the floor of the house you could appreciate both content, confidence and intelligent humour” an MP currently serving his 2nd term said on condition of anonymity.
Governor Rutto and Senator Murkomen are in the front-line in collecting a million signatures to force the Uhuruto government to implement devolution. Events in Kisii where residents are reported to have prepared to lecture the president on the state of devolution and rising tribal appointments may have informed Deputy President’s swift action.
Governor Rutto and Senator Murkomen’s problems started two months ago when it was clear that governors and senators were “listening” to them more than anybody else in Jubilee government, senate speaker Ekwee Ethuro sided with the duo since it became apparent that Statehouse had hatched a plan to systematically undermine the senate and frustrate Devolution.
The supremacy battle between the senate and parliament caused further division, at first given the two’s closeness to the Deputy president , Uhuru, at some point, is said to have tried bringing them closer with the hope that he can win them over. The sweeteners dangled by the president included a daily telephone conversation from statehouse- just to say hi and end with tuko pamoja!.
By the beginning of July, the Jubilee propaganda machine - The Jackal News- announced to all and sundry that the president had declared war on Murkomen and Rutto by extension, it quoted the president warning Murkomen in very certain terms: “either you are with us, or we come for you”.
Here is part of the story carried by the Jackal News on July 1st and which, as usual, the statehouse propagandists gave a sensational sex angle to play on the minds of conservative, family loving Kenyans on the credibility of Murkomen as a leader. It was a classic propaganda!
Kenyatta recently told Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi that Murkomen was treading on dangerous ground. ‘‘Huyo rafiki yako anaitwa Murkomen… mwambie tumemtolea gloves,’’ Sudi told a contact for this website aboard a helicopter to Marakwet over the weekend.
Sudi said the brief conversation took place at JKIA as Kenyatta arrived from Uganda from a summit.
‘‘The president was echoing similar concerns by William Ruto that Murkomen was fighting the government for no fundamental agenda,’’ a source close to the presidency explained.
Governor’s Ruto’s problems emanate from his strong position he has taken together with governors both Jubilee and CORD and that want devolution implemented as per the spirit of the constitution. To re-emphasize his position again, here is how the standard captured his sentiments in reaction to the URP members’ parliament
Ruto is quoted as saying that Governors were working together to ensure devolution works and that there were no engagements or talks whatsoever among them on how political parties are supposed to relate.
Ruto said it was in the authority of Treasury Principal Secretary Dr Kamau Thuge that the government is making arrangements to return roads and rural electrification funds from Counties to the National government and be re-allocated to Kenya Rural Roads Authority and Kenya the Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA).
“Kenyans agreed to forget analogue and go digital but no one told them to forget about dialogue. They should not consider dialogue as analogue. If they are digital,” Ruto added.
He said that anyone who wants to roll back the wheels of history will meet Kenyans out in the field and they will have nothing to tell them adding that Jubilee should not forget that 2017 election is closing in.
“Let us focus on implementing devolution and development programs and stop being petty. When we point out issues it does not mean we do not belong to the Jubilee,” Ruto said.
Governor Rutto seem to be all set, in the words of Admiral David Farragut during the Battle of Mobile Bay “Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!“.
“We are going on with our plans as there is no indication that the national government is about to respect devolution as expected by Kenyans. Jubilee government seems to want to stagger it for three more years,” said Mr Rutto.
With Ruto spending what to many is a fortune just for a press conference, it is obvious that Murkomen and Rutto and in for a long battle, soon we will read fabricated scandals,investigation and intimidations all geared at silencing them.
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