The family of former Eldoret North MP Reuben Chesire has opened up on a feud between their kin and Deputy President William Ruto.
According to reports, DP Ruto allegedly slapped Chesire at State House during the heated campaign season in 2002, a time when the ruling party was on verge of being toppled.
The Nation quoted Chesire's wife and his sister who gave an account of events from their kin and how the moment emotionally dragged the former assistant minister down.
Chesire's wife, Alice Chesire stated that the issue was never resolved and every time the DP is making headlines across the country people and especially their neighbours remind them of what happened at State House.
“On that day he came back home and I could see he was in a lot of pain emotionally. One of his eyes red and painfully narrated to us what had happened to him,” Mrs Chesire recalled.
The family clarified that they have no malice towards DP Ruto in speaking up now and especially with barely 9 days to the elections.
“I am speaking now because there have been a lot of stories going around about this incident that happened to my late husband, Reuben Chesire since the viral audio of the deputy president saying he almost slapped the president.
"I am not saying now to try and reduce his votes. I am saying it now because I want the voice of peace to be heard among Kenyans and even as we finish the elections, we need to speak peace among the youth and the politicians so that we have peace in this country,” Mrs Chesire stated.
“In Eldoret, this is not an issue that can disappear. People keep reminding me about it, telling me that it is still an unfinished business,” she added.
She stated that after the alleged incident, Chesire did not follow through on the police report because he hoped the matter would be resolved internally but the DP never reached out to make peace.
“He had wanted Ruto to come to him with three elders so that he could talk and the elders would guide the young man in the right way. He waited for so long for William Ruto to come and seek forgiveness, and up to the time he died in 2008, Ruto never came to say sorry," Chesire's wife stated.
The former assistant minister's sister, Susan Kittony recounted the incident and noted that Dr Ruto and Chesire never had any problems prior to the incident but they were opponents for the Eldoret North parliamentary seat.
The issue was recently revived by Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka who challenged DP Ruto to deny the alleged incident which occurred during the Kanu era.
