{Kenya’s deputy president William Samoei Ruto has for the second time in less than a week summoned NRM party leaders from Sebei sub-region to his hometown, Eldoret, Kenya, the Sunday Monitor has established.
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Sources privy to the two meetings so far held intimated to the Sunday Monitor that the first meeting took place on Thursday last week in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi and the second one took place yesterday (Saturday) in Eldoret.
“I am in Eldoret now. Mr Ruto met some of those who won in the just concluded primaries last week. He contacted us who lost and all area MPs and we have a meeting here,” Ms Phyllis Chemutai, the Kapchorwa District Woman MP, told this newspaper yesterday morning.
Kween County MP Abdil Fadhil Kisos Chemaswet, who also lost in the NRM primaries and has since declared support for Go-Forward presidential candidate Amama Mbabazi, was in the western Kenya town of Eldoret yesterday.
Others left out
“I was not invited for the Thursday meeting. But Mr Ruto personally called me. He asked why I wasn’t part of the meeting and demanded that I mobilise area MPs and attend this one. I informed him that I support Mbabazi and he is concerned about the political climate in Sebei. We are changing and I am not retreating,” Mr Chemaswet said on phone.
The legislator added he was not yet aware of the agenda of the meeting but said Mr Ruto has keen on the development of Sebei sub-region.
“When he came to Kampala for the National Prayer Breakfast, President Museveni asked him to work with the Sabiny. Mr Ruto also promised to help build three schools; one in each of the three Sebei districts, so I can’t rule out development as part of the agenda.”
The Sabiny and Mr Ruto belong to the Kalenjin linguistic group which straddles the Uganda-Kenya boundary. The biggest portion of Kalenjin ethnic group is found in Kenya.
Also in yesterday’s meeting were Maj Leonard Chemonges (aspirant for Kapchorwa Municipality MP), Dr Stephen Chebrot (Tingey), Ms Lydia Chekwel (Kween Woman), Andrew Timothy Mangusho (aspirant for Kapchorwa Municipality MP), Nelson Sabila (Kongasis), Tete Chelangat (Bukwo Woman), Tenderesi Zakayo (Kongasis MP aspirant).
Details of the attendees of the Thursday meeting were still sketchy, but sources said the team was larger than yesterday’s.
By press time, the meeting was ongoing and we could not establish the details.
However, sources say the Thursday meeting revolved around the political landscape in the country [Uganda] and the welfare of Sebei. sub-region
NRM party secretary general Justine Kasule Lumumba neither answered nor returned our repeated calls, but her deputy Richard Todwong’s number was not available. Party spokesperson and director of Uganda Media Centre Ofwono Opondo’s phone was also unreachable.
Sunday Monitor was, however, able to speak to Mr Tanga Odoi, the chairperson of NRM electoral body.
“I am not privy to that information. So I cannot comment on what I don’t know,” Mr Odoi said.
When asked about what the move by the Kenyan Number Two means, opinion leaders from Sebei sub-region, who did not want to be named, said they could not avoid associating with the Kalenjin brethren in Kenya, but said they could not dismiss political manoeuvers.
The Jubilee principal was in Kampala on October 8 and October 9 for the National Prayer Breakfast and the subsequent Independence Day celebrations in Gulu.
DAILY MONITOR
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