Jubilee aspirants from the Rift Valley region on Monday expressed their frustrations with President Uhuru Kenyatta stating that he had failed to protect Deputy President William Ruto from nomination losers who accused him (Ruto) of rigging them out.
The aspirants drawn majorly from the South Rift region asked President Kenyatta to defend his deputy or risk losing the support from the vote-rich Rift Valley region.
The politicians accused the President of abandoning the DP after all the good work he had done for the party during the nominations.
“We were all unanimous President Uhuru was not treating Ruto well, especially because, while Ruto spent sleepless nights sorting out issues during the bungled nominations, the President’s people have been busy accusing Ruto of all manner of things. This is unacceptable,” one of the leaders stated.
The aspirants mentioned that they would hold a meeting over the coming weekend where they will publicly pass their message to the president.
“This is the man who sorted out the problems. How is that he is now being blamed and his boss does not bother to defend him in public? This weekend we plan to tell the President very clearly that he must stand with Ruto through thick and thin," an aspirant from Nakuru County explained.
The leaders also whined that the President did not appreciate his deputy's role in bringing nomination losers together because while Ruto had been busy meeting and reconciling Jubilee party winners and losers in Nairobi and elsewhere, Uhuru openly stated that he had no problem with independents backing him.
"We feel the President is being selfish. He does not care about his Jubilee aspirants but wants his vote at all costs. We'll tell him if that is the case, let him come and look for his own vote in Kalenjin land. We will look for our votes," one of the politicians highlighted.
The group also noted that the President betrayed them after he cut a deal with Baringo County Senator Gideon Moi who is DP Ruto's main rival. The leaders added that the deal was hurting them politically in the region.
"These KANU people are fighting us on the ground viciously because of the deal Kenyatta did with them.
"See what is happening in Elgeyo Marakwet where Ruto's strong ally Kipchumba Murkomen is being fought by Kanu's David Kimaiyo who does not even like the President? What happens if he wins? The President needs to draw a line like NASA leaders have done," a Senate aspirant stated.
The leaders stated that they will hold a major rally over the weekend at Sosiot Grounds in Kericho County where they will make a 'Sosiot declaration' airing their frustrations with the President.
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