News Analysis By Leo Odera Omolo in Kericho Town.

The much highlighted political alliance between the Deputy Prime Minster Uhuru Kenyatta’s TNA and the William Ruto led United Republican Party {URP} whose main agenda and objective is how to block the Prime Minister Raila Odinga from succeeding President Mwai Kibaki as the next president of the Republic of Kenya is doomed to fail.

Judging from the reactions of the people on the ground, this tribally-oriented plan is heading to nowhere. The pact is viewed as mischievous and lacked the political goodwill of the people it purport to represent. The proposed arrangement is viewed by the bulks of the Kalenjin community as a political sellout.

The proposed alliance lacked the blessing and political goodwill of the entire Kalenjin community and it is viewed in the context of selfish interest serving and fertile imagination of the Eldoret North MP William Ruto.

The common popular saying making the round in this rich tea growing region covering Kericho and Bomet Counties is that Ruto is just about to mortgage the Kalenjin community for his own power bargain and selfish serving interest without having any tangible agenda for the future well being of the community.

And in the North Rift in Ruto’s home turf a group numbering hundreds of unemployed youth have formed a lobby group calling itself “Achicha” loosely, meaning “we refuse” in simplest English translating to mean “Big No” told William Ruto that his political alliance with Kenyatta’s TNA party has no blessing and consent of the entire Kalenjin community.

In this context the ACHICHA group which staged anti TNA-URP demonstration in Eldoret town wants the pact re-negotiated afresh with the participation of the entire population,and not by a few individuals locking themselves inside posh hotels in Nairobi and then coming out with such unworkable aragroup blamed the Eldoret North MP for being lone ranger and for not consulting widely before entering into amorphous alliances, which could turn out to be disastrous to the future Kalenjin people in this country.

And while addressing well attended ODM Mashinani campaign in Bomet town at the weekend, The former legislator told Ruto that since Raila Odinga has made it clear that he intend to rule for one term only, it would then be much easier for Ruto to get elected the president in 2017.

The former legislator accused Ruto using the Kalenjin while in actual sense, he is only pursuing his own personal agenda by blackmailing the community. “The truth is that Ruto is not fighting for the community interest but his personal interests because he is not consistent with what he says in his uncoordinated public pronouncement ”One day he saying that he wanted to be Kenyatta’s running-mate, the next day he is saying he is on the presidential race to the finish.”

“Kalenjin community risk being locked out of the next government. It will be suicidal if we the Kalenjin did not change our political game as we will be out of the next government, and this will take the community another five yeas in the cold.” Kimeto.

The most common and popular feeling and beliefs in the South Rift part of the Rift Valley is that the formation of the mushrooming political alliances by the various tribal groups would cause a lot of problems to the peace loving and law-abiding Kenyans, therefore something must be done with the uttermost urgency to avert such farmhouse alliances.

A number of political personalities have also scathingly criticized the Home Affairs Assistant Minister Beatrice ones who on Wednesday ditched the ODM and run to William Ruto’s URP, saying those happily abandoning ODM will live to regret when they get to nowhere.

Kones’ action in decamping from the ODM did not please many people here in Kericho and people were seen discussing the matter in low tone inside coffee shops, restaurants.

Kones, whose original home is in Sigowet constituency in lower Belgut near Sondu Market, they said, had no good reason to ditch the ODM and her departure reasons were not very much convincing. ”May be some of the party hoppers are heavily indebted and wanted the easiest way out of sorting out matters with their creditors because of unlimited campaign resources said to be in abundance in the TNAA and URP.

Political pundits were quick in pointing out that Mrs Kones will not retain her Bomet seat no matter how much resources the IRP may put at her disposal.

In the by-election that followed the accidental death of her husband populist Kipsigis political kingpin Donald Kipkemoi Kipkalya Kones had won the seat against Nick Salatt of KANU due to the ODM euphoria. Kones is not very strong on the ground and such she is just running away under the pretext of ditching ODM and yet she knew it pretty well, that the chance of retaining the seat is very slim

Majority of many people in this region wanted to join the UDM a party, which is headed by the former deputy SGS Lt.Gen {rtd} John Arap Koech who hails from Ainamoi in Kericho County, but they blamed the party for failed to establish its grass root structure such as offices in key towns and urban centers in the region.

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News Analysis By Leo Odera Omolo In Kericho Town.

SOME of the amorphous tribally driven political alliances being formed specifically with one simple agenda; that of how prevent the Prime Minister Raila Odinga from succeeding President Mwi Kibaki as the next President of the Republic are likely to be fizzled out even long before the next poll slated for March 4, 2013.

The residents of this rich tea growing region have become increasingly weary of the anti-Raila sentiments, and wee now demanding that the anti-Raila elements should be clear in their campaign agenda.”They should tell us what they intend to do for Kenyans instead of filling the air with anti-Raila empty political slogans and rhetoric’s,” remarked a prominent politician in Bureti district J.L Ng’eno.

A leading KANU politician in Kipsigis land William Kipkemoi Arap Kettienya has cautioned his community to aware and move cautiously about the numerous tribally oriented political alliances. ’These alliances, he said could be recipe to chaos and mayhem.”

The common belief of many people in this region is that some monetary interests has driven politicians are the one who have of late ditched the ODM and crossed to form amorphous alliances with wealthy politicians from other region.

Unfortunately those forming alliance don’t go back home and inform their people what such alliances entail to their communities. It is the question of serving selfish interest. And this is one of the reasons why they have decamped from the ODM in the recent past sought for green pasture in other parties, which are led by wealthy politicians from other regions.

Another prominent Kipsigis politician who has requested that his name should not be mentioned predicted that “As soon as the campaign resources, which are said to be n abundant supplies in the TNA-URP alliance dries up,’Our people will begin running back to the ODM, which I believe is the only.”

During my numerous interviews with the leading personalities and residents of this rich tea growing region of Kericho and Bomet Counties, I gathered some vital information which are clearly indicating that despite of the intensive heat of mid-slinging campaign against Raila Odinga mounted by some Kalenjn MPs aligned to the Eldoret North MP William Ruto, the Prime Minister is still the darling of the majority of the Kipsigis people.

The community is not comfortable with the political alliance an coalition TNA_URP, but the people here are willing t vote for Ruto if he is contesting the presidential seat alone on his own on URP party ticket.

The people of this region, which is part of the expansive Rift Valley Province, are not comfortable with Ruto-Kenyatta alliance as simple mischievous and political sell-out. They are viewing such an alliance as it seeks to sideline other Kenyan communities from the mainstream of national politics in the country and as such could be recipe to chaos and mayhem.

I also discovered that the normal quiet UDM party which is led by the retiree former Dept CGS Lt.Gen {rtd}.John Arap Koech, who is himself a highly respected Kipsigis personality is the second most preferable political movement after the ODM. What the UDM must do in order to build its credibility is put its grass root structures on the ground. It should conduct its grass rot election and set in motion its activities in the region.

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FOR RAILA ODINGA TO REGAIN A STRONG FOOTHOLD IN THE SOUTH RIFT THE ODM MUST CHANGE ITS TACTICS AND STEWARDSHIP INCLUDING EMPOWERING RUTO’S KNOWN POLITICAL ENEMIES IN THE REGION.

News Analysis By Leo Odera Omolo In Bomet Town.

He recent series of quiet political maneuvers by the Prime Miniister Odinga such as making an overture by way of engaging the URP leader William Samoei Arap Rutoin late night behind the scene meetings could be arguably said to bear nothing significantly important like any added value to his precarious position and fast waning popularity in the South Rift and in some parts of the expansive Rift Valley Province.

Instead of such unworkable maneuvers and holding night dialogue meetings Rail Odinga should take a bold step and empower certain individual political personalities, particularly anti-Ruto elements within the vote rich Kipisigis regions covering Kericho and Bomet counties.

The ODM also must extend its wing and network into the neighboring Trans-Mara East and West districts where the Kalenjin population almost equals those of the indignant Maasais. The ODM candidate in Kiligoris constituency John Ng”eno who gave the incumbent MP Gideon Konchellah a run for his money in the 2007 general elections.

The supporters of the Eldoret North MP William Samoei Ruto in the South Rift region are viewing thee Raila Odinga’s maneuvers as portraying the picture of some one who is embroiled in a great panicking of loosing the impeding presidential election.

At the same time the few Kalenjin MPs who are still firmly in the ODM apart from the Tinderet MP Henry Kosgey and the Aldai Mp Dr Sally Kosgey they lacked the ammunition and power with which they could puncture a hole in the URP euphoria which is currently sweeping the Kalenjin region like the torrential rains.

The three ODM MPs in the region include the Roads Minister Franklin Bett {Buret},Home Affairs Assistant Minister Beatrice Kones {Bomet} and Energy Assistant Minister Magerere Lang’at {Kipkellion} These MPs are so scared and afraid of challenging Ruto, hence they are branded by their electorate as {traitors] therefore nursing the fear of loosing their parliamentary seats to the URP candidates come the March 4,2013 polls.

The only sensible option open to Raila Odinga to regain a foothold in Kipsigis inhabited region is to empower anti-Ruto elements operating from within Kericho and Bomet Counties and outside Parliament.
The men lie Donald Ng’eny, former cabinet Minister John Arap Koech, former Sotik MP Antony Kimeto{Sotet} and the UDM leader Lt.Gen
[rtd} John Koech are capable of taming Ruto’s enormous influence in the region. What Raila Odinga and the ODM should do is to empower these people by way of providing them with ammunition with which the cold use to inflict punctures in Ruto’s popular vehicle traversing the region.
Raila’s close advisers who are arguably the few MPs fro the region that still cling to the ODM obviously lacked political dynamism and magnanimity and their steam to drive Ruto out of the South Rift, though they are aware that the entire population are not comfortable with the Eldoret North MP’s closeness to Uhuru Kenyatta.

The entire population in the South Rift believes Raila Odinga stands for the genuine reforms and his anti-impunity crusade is well taken by the voters, they are sometimes getting confused with sweet tongue deployed by URP agents, MPS and many political hirelings engaged by the party in a protracted propaganda war against Raila Odinga in the region with nobody countering such pack of dreadful lies being spread like bush fire.

The ODM must engaged the UDM on serious discussions and facilitate its activities by providing the party leaders with quick travelling means.UDM influence is well spread into the neighboring Narok North and Narok West as well as Kiligoris constituencies with the Narok County.In these areas, Raila Odinga is sill the darling of the electorate, but he only lacked the well coordinate foot solders to carry on the party flame into the heart of the population. People are left to occasionally hear the ODM gospel on how best to save this nation when Raila himself visited the region.

Raila’s other party MPs, especially those from Luo-Nyanza and KJsii regions bare buy locked in parochial issues and internally political squabbling within their localities thereby preventing them from visiting regions outside their home Province to conduct effective campaign to popularize the party and its presidential candidate.

It could be remembered that it was the Kipsigis political kingpin the late Kipkalya Kones and the Lt Gen {rtd} John koech who facilitated Rala Oding triumphant into Kipsigis region in 2007 when they defiantly hosted “Agwambo” in Kapkatet against the odds including the vehement opposition from KANU and the retired President Daniel Arap Moi. Raila entry into Kapkatet where he addressed the mammoth of crowd was the turn point.

It shifted the Kipsigis politics from KANU to the ODM. This is because Kapkatet Center fro where the late Ex-Senior Chief Cheborge Arap Tengecha had ruled the region with an iron fist for decades during the colonial era up to the early part of Kenya’s ‘s attainment of political independence in 1963 is considered s the heart of Kipsigis politics.

During Raila’s visit he was made an elder of the Kipsigis community and given the name of AraP Mibei an honour, which is specifically bestowed to the most revered to persons.

The next thing if Raila’s presidential votes had not been messed b the disbanded former Electoral Commission of Kenya”Agwambo” would have taken to a special prayer at the Tiluet Ab Kipsigis, the holy shrine in a small hill standing on the right and opposite Kericho Nakuru highway to be installed as the Laitoriat Ap Kipsigisiek [King of the Kipsigis people}. Unfortunately this did not work as planned.

The kipsigis a sub-tribe of the large Kalenjin ethnic group is the most populous community among the dozen or so Kalenjin sub-clans. The community is endowed by the most arable and fertile highland with sufficient annual rainfall making the area to be the favorite region for tea growing. This has made member of this proud community slightly more wealthier than their cousins fro the North Rift due to the sale of green leaves tea crops to the multinational tea companies and KTDA managed eight tea processing factories located in Kericho and Bomet Counties.

The community has the best brains and highest numbers of intellectuals compared to other Kalenjin sub-tribes. Its members despite of high education are always prone to political manipulations by their semi-illiterate cousins from the North Rift who took the advantage of the Moi KANU regime.

During the Moi era member of the community were used and dumped by the self-proclaimed professor of Kenya politics, particularly those who were considered to be potential for accession to the national political outlook and those who won parliamentary seat were technically forced to serve for only one parliamentary term, before being replaced by others greenhorns who were groomed by the government.

This had negative impact to the community and systematically denied its member the accession to the national politic. Level minded member of this community believes and maintained that William Ruto who is also a product and disciples of the Moi regime had the same ambition to ensure that the Kipsigis people are kept in the periphery of the mainstream of Kenya’s politics.

The majority of the Kipsigis people believes that Ruto and URP euphoria would fizzled out fast be fore the ext general election, which only five moths away, and many people would return to the ODM. This is the one single community which had fought in close to three or four tribal clashes with its neighboring communities,

The fears that persist about Ruto style of leadership is given credence by his actions while he was the Deputy leader of the ODM, which allegedly saw him deploying the Moi tactics in locking out of parliamentary race in various constituencies of those who m him he did not favor. The majority of them were rigged out during the primary nominations, which only saw his favorite aspirants winning the preliminaries
The community has lost man of its loved one and property and would like to see peace and tranquility prevailing and the time and inter-communal feuds become the matter of the past and consigned to the dustbins of history.

The vote-rich South Rift regions could raise up to 2 million votes and of course each and every presidential aspirant would like to outshine his rivals in the region so as to benefit from the he number of votes.

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UNLESS THE GOVERNMENT TAKES STRINGENT SECURITY PRECAUTION MEASURES SOME PARTS OF WESTERN KENYA COULD TURN TO BE CHAOTIC DURING THE NEXT GENERAL ELECTIONS.

News Analysis By Leo Odera Omolo In Kisumu City

ALTHOUGH the usually volatile violence prone Counties in Southern Nyanza and Kisii regions are still quiet with no major ugly incident so far as the county is only five months away from the impeding general elections, reports emerging from Siaya and Kisumu Counties are all painting gloomy future.

Within last week lone the two regions witnessed ugly incidents which should be the matter of grave concern for those responsible for the security and safety of Kenyan citizens. All these incidents are pointing to the direction of shape of things to come during the next general elections which is only five months away.

Two senior politicians in Siaya and Kisumu were forced to flee the venues where they were conducting functions at different venue for their dear lives following the invasion of the venues by marauding, drunken and heavily drugged hired goons.

The two politicians were the Finance Assistant Minister Dr. Oburu Odinga who is also the MP for Bondo. The other one is the Education Assistant Minister Prof. P Ayiecho Olueny who is also the Muhoroni MP.

Olueny was forced out of funeral home in Kaumswa in North East Kano, Nyando district within is Muhoroni constituency in Kisumu County. Prof Olueny was among the hundreds of mourners who had attended the burial of the brother of the Nyando County Council Samuel Onyango Ong’ou..

Scores of people sustained bodily injuries during the commotion with unconfirmed reports that two people were stabbed with knives and sustain serious injuries.

While the funeral program was in progress Prof Olueny’s arrival in Muhoroni political derby James Onyango Koyoo, a Nairobi business man triumphantly stormed the funeral home accompanied by close to 300 rowdy youths sparking off a chaotic and ugly incidents.

The Assistant Minister’s plea for calm and orderly hit the rock. Olueny’s youth and supporters appeared to have been shocked and scared as they were also outnumbered by K’Oyoo’s rowdy goons. Fighting ensued and the mourners took to their heels. It was during the commotion that several people especially elderly men and women were run-over by the fleeing mourners in th4e stampede that followed.

The MP also vanished in the crowd and left the venue.

Prior to his death in a helicopter crash on June 10th the former Assistant Minister for Internal Security the late Joshua Orwa Ojode had suggested that all the funeral gatherings inside Luo-Nyanza would in the future require public meeting s licenses from the police so that the security men could be presence and monitor the proceeding an also to protect the lives and property of the bereaved families an funeral goers.

Unfortunately Ojode died accidentally before putting his suggestion into place. The Minister was reacting to an incident in Kaspul-Kabondo where MPs, ministers, and Councilors were forced out and had to be escorted to safety by the police when the fighting erupted.

During the same weekends the Finance Assistant Minster Dr. Oburu Odinga was forced to cut-short his speech at a campaign public rally in Siaya Tow after a man was spotted among the crowd brandishing a panga {machete} apparently suspected of planning to attack the Assistant Minister wit the weapon.

The man whose name was given only as Otieno was cornered, subdued by the Minister’s security details and supporters who beat him savagely before frog-matching the suspect to the nearby police station where he was take into custody. Within minutes, the suspect’s nine accomplices who had attempted to storm the police station while demanding that the suspect be released from the police custody were also arrested and take into custody.

It later emerged that the group were part of the to of the hired goons to cause mayhem and to intimidate Dr Oburu Odinga who is involve in the cut-throat sot of the campaign for the Siaya County Senate seat which the Lands Minister James Aggrey Orengo is his arch-rival.

What has emerged is that all the Siaya MPs have ganged agaist Dr. Oburu Odinga bid for the Senate seat. They are all favoring his arch-rival the Lands Minister James Aggrey Orengo who is the Ugenya MP. Orengo is also favored by the electorate who feels Dr Odinga candidature is not viable considering that fact the same electorate are being asked to vote for his younger brother the Prime Minister Raila Odinga who all seemed to have agreed to vote for in his presidential bid.

However, one MP has remained neutral over the issue. He is the Alego-Usonga MP Edwin Ochieng Yinda. But the MP has since lost hi patency then he discovered that Dr Oburu Odinga has appointed his formidable challenger in Alego-Usonga parliamentary seat contest Charles Odunga Mamba a wealthy Kisumu hotelier to be one of his campaign manager. MP Yinda has since feel provoked changed his mind and lost his patience and has joined hands with his other parliamentarian colleagues in Siaya in opposing Dr Odinga candidature for the senate seat

Dr Oburu Odinga made an error in drafting Mr Odunga Mamba into his campaign team, and MP Yinda has since read mischief arguing that Dr. Odinga was grooming Mr Odunga Mmba to grab is Alego Usonga seat. Mp Yinda who is arguably one of the wealthiest Luo MP and businessmen

And representing a constituency which covered Siaya Town, things seemed to work against .Oburu Oginga, who at later date might find himself confined strictly to conduct his campaign inside his Bondo consttuency.

All the Siaya MPs including Dr Oburu Ognga’s own cousin Jakoyo Midiwo {Gem} Nicholas Gumbo {Rarieda and Edwin Ochieng’ Yinda Alego Usonga are vehemently opposed to Dr.Odinga candidature I the Senate contesting. They have been joined by civic leaders from all the six constituencies of Alego-Usonga, Rarieda, Bondo, Gem, Ugenya and the newly created Ukwala.

They consider Dr. Oburu Odinga ambition to grab the Siaya Senate seat as part of the excessive arrogance on the part of members of the Odinga family. Dr.Odinga younger sister Ruth Adhiambo Odinga is vying for Kismu County governor position to the chagrins of the local people.

The popular saying now is that members of the Odinga family who wished to contest any elective seat should do so in side their Bondo district which their home turf and not elsewhere, but all agreed to support Raila’s presidential ambition.

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News Analysis by Arrum Tidi Ogonglo in Homa-Bay Town

The recent tour of Ndhiwa district by the Prime Minister Raila Odinga was a big blessing for dozens of aspirants vying for the various elective positions with the Homa-Bay County.

The man whose lady-luck came calling was the former Country Director of Marie Stoppie Clinics Cyprian Otieno Awiti. He is a candidate in the crowded contest for the position of the Homa-Bay County governor.

There were also other aspirants who would be contesting for the elective positions with the County governance, parliament, senate and county wards.

Raila was in Ndhiwa during the last lap of the campaign for the just concluded by-election in the area. He had gone there to drum up support for this ODM party candidate Agustino Neto Oyugi, who eventually emerged the victorious.

A large number of political luminaries in the greater Southern Nyanza region, especially those eyeing seats within Homa-Bay County turned up in full force to cheer up their leader. Raila and hi entourage made ten stop-overs at the various market places trading centers and, schools and wound up his tour with a public rally at Ndhiwa Town, which was attended by a mamm0th of crowd.

The Prime Minister traversed the full length and width of the expansive Ndhiwa constituency and where he went, Raila who was in jolly mood introduced to the public all the political personalities who had accompanied him. He singled out the names of those who will be vying for the various elective positions calling the names out.

And the man whose name received prolonged applause and ululations was none-other than Cyprian Awiti whom the PM referred by”Ja-Mawego or Ja-Kodondo” telling the crowd that Awiti is eyeing for the position of Homa-Bay County governor.

The mention in of Awiti’s name was received with shouts of “Ja-Mawego kende emawadwaro” We want Awiti only we want or Jomoko go to wakia “we Don’t recognize the others”.

Local pundits were quick in pointing out that this was an act of endorsement Awiti as the man favored by ODM to clinch the Homa-Bay County governor position.

Awit who sat quietly and mingled easily with the huge crowd had his presence not recognized by the crowd until Raila called him by the name. There were several other aspirants for the same position who wee also in attendance and had their names also mentioned by the PM, but the response was very dull. His rivals for the same seat included the former chairman of the ODM election Board Eng Phillip Okundi, a computer experts working with Microsoft Computer International African region Dr Mark Matunga who hails fro Suba region,, Prof Akeyo Omolo from Karachuonyo.

The populist Awiti hails from eastern parts of Karachuonyo constituency lead the packs with highly illustrious track record of active participation in the development activities that spans back to ten years. He has made extensive tour of the entire Homa-Bay County making hefty cash donation towards socio-economic infrastructure, schools, Medicare institutions, churches, women and youth group until his name has become an household word almost to every family.

The County is one of the largest inside Luo-Nyanza covering 8 parliamentary constituencies of Mbita, Gwassi, Ndhiwa, Rangwe, Homa-Bay Town, Karachunyo, Kasipul and Kabondo-Kasipul.

If the Country gets good managers, it cod be developed to become one of the richest among the 47 Counties country-wide. It has many natural resources lie minerals, fisheries, agriculture and untapped mineral resources such s lie, uranium and gold. Other potentialities included many pre-historic sites and tours attraction scenery.

And ever since Raila Odinga left the region, the rumor that is spreading like bush-fire is that Cyprian Otieno Awitiis the man to beat,

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News Analysis Leo Odera Omolo In Kericho Town

The reported signing of an agreement political pact between three political parties with substantial following in the Rift Valley Province now signifies the end enormous influence and political clout of the Eldoret North MP William Ruto in the Rift Valley Province in general and within the Kalenjin community in particular.

The three parties reported to have signed an agreement of co-operation to work together a head of the next year’s general election included KANU, National Vision and the United Democratic Movement.

However, political pundits and observers alike say that the new cooperation is widely seen as a ploy aimed at eroding, Ruto’s URP party’s popularity in the Rift Valley, The parties leaders said “they have decided to work together to create a conducive political environment.”

KANU is led by Gideon Moi, the favorite son of the retired President Daniel Arap Moi,while the National Visio Party of Kenya {N.V.P} is led by the former powerful cabinet Minister Nicholas Kipyator Kiprono Biwott {Karnet} or “powerman” and the United Democratic Movement [UDM} is under the leadership of the retired former deputy Chief of the General Staff {CGS} Lt.Gen {rtd} John Arap Koech.

Although Gideon Moi, the former Baringo Central MP is the defector national chairman of KANU, the party of independence, the party is technically virtually still under the control and influence of the retired President Moi, a man whose enormous political clout in the Rift Valley has remained intact ever since he retired from active politics after losing power to a combined fore of the opposition groups under umbrella of Narc Kenya.

From the look of things, it is now up to Ruto to either dissolve his URP party and rejoin and become party of the new group comprising KANU, NVP and the UDM for his own political survivalor perish altogether with his brigade of MPs supporting the URP in the region.

The political scenario set by the new group, according to the observers of the Rift Valley politics will now leave very little rooms for him to maneuver his way out of the onslaught by the combination of this newly formed formidable for an alliance by the three most influential groups of politicians in the region.

Ruto before launching is United Republican Party had had hatched a secret plans to use the UDM as soft landing pad in anticipation of then the inevitable fall out of favor with his former ODM party led by the Prime Minister Raila Odinga. Ruto had made a spirited attempt to wrestle the UDM party out of Gen Koech’s leadership, a move which resulted in protracted legal tussles through courts.

William Ruto and Gen Koech are known not to be in good books. The relationship of the two came cropper during the 2007 general election when the latter accused Ruto and his agents in the South Rit region for having rigged him twice out of the ODM primary nomination in the Ainamoi constituency within Kericho County, and thereafter during the by-election in the same constituency to fill the vacancy which was created following the death of the former MP for the area the late David Koech two months later.

Gen Koech contested the two elections on ODM ticket, but later blamed Ruto and his spanner boy the Belgut MP Charles Keter for allegedly having master minded for his downfall. It was after this political scenario which prompted Gen Koech to move out of the ODM and hatched the plans of reviving the hitherto run-down sleeping UDM by registering the party a fresh with others.

Gen Koech was joined by Ole Kamwaro who became he UDM Secretary-General with himself being made the party national chairman. The General, however, did not severe is link with the ODM leader Raila Odinga, who later appointed him to a head the Poverty Eradication Commission a parastatal which falls under the Prime Minister’s office as its executive chairman.

An unsuccessful attempt to overthrown the General and his team by a group suspected to have been at the behest of sponsorship by Ruto and his friend was met with fiercest opposition by General Koech and his team, hence the beginning of the long and hard fought court cases.

It is worthwhile to remember that it was through the joint efforts of the late Kipsigis powerful politician the late Donald Kipkemoi Kipkalya Kones and General Koech that had paved the way for the Raila Odinga and his ODM to triumphantly gained entry into Kipsigis region of the South Rift in 2007.This effort was later to yield in the ODM’s success in the region in 2007 where members of the Kipsigis community voted for the party on man-to-man.

Report on the round in this agriculturally rich Kipsigis land covering two Counties of Kericho and Bomet is showing that William Ruto is not controlling the Kalenjin politics as such. This is just the simple perception of the newspapers making.

Our dailies have been erroneously reports insisting that Ruto is the new political kingpin of the Rift Valley Province after Moi left the leadership vacuum in the region. Moi’s political clout among he Kalenjin community is still very intact, especially in the South Rift region which is inhabited by members of the most populous Kipsigis sub-tribe of the larger Kalenjin ethnic groups.

The political clout of the self-confessed professor of Kenya’s politics is yet to be fizzled out an anyone who ignore this fact can do so on his or her own peril This is one of the reasons why the political pundits and observers of the Kalenjin politics now say that the new unity pact between KANU NVP and UDM could easily bring to an abrupt end Wiliam Ruto’s excessive arrogance

However, keen observers 0f the Rift Valley politics have been heard saying that the new unity pact between KANU, NVP and UDM posed a real threat to Willam Ruto’s URP. party which he intend to use as a popular vehicles for his access to the State House race during he impending general elections.

Meanwhile a top Kipsigis politician has expressed his unreserved support and endorsement for the unity pact signed at the Weekend between KANU, NVP and County KANU branch secretary. However, he sounded a stern warning to members of his Kipsigis community to be careful about political tribal groupings, saying that this cold isolate them and make hem lose political contacts with other communities. A move them which could keep them out of the successive future governments.

“The wrong assumption that William Ruto’s URP party controls the large section of the residents of the expansive Rift Valley Province is untrue,” said Kettienya.

He went on, “It is important that that the residents of the Rift Valley region, particularly members of the Kalenjin community have been losing essential contacts with the government of the day in the last the years, and this political scenario if allowed to continue unchecked will make the community locked out of any future governments to be formed by other political parties.

The URP anted to keep the whole Kalenjin community under ne basket and I the armpit of William Ruto. The common saying in some parts of the region now is that anybody who consider the option of joining other parties is viewed political outcasts.

The Kalenjins must join other parties like KANU, ODM, UDOM, TNA and others in order to ensure that they booked themselves in the next government which will be formed after the next year’s general elections. He said he personally consider the KANU cooperation with the ODM as the better option.

Kettienya said the days of tribal grouping are long gone, because the time is ripe for Kenyans of good will to think in nationalistic terms instead of parochial and partisan politics which are the recipe of chaos and despondency.

Following the remarks made by in the just concluded Ndhiwa by-election Tom Otieno Onyango Alila,political pundits were quick in saying that the new pact grouping KNU, NVP and UDM could be warming up to the ODM and the presidential bid of its leader Raila Odinga.

Congratulating Gen Koech for having kept his UDM party intact, Ketienya called upon the Kipsigis sub-tribe to join the party en mess in order to provide the party with the necessary ammunition or power bargain after the next general elections.

It has also been established that the euphoria with which the URP had hit the ground with thud in the South Rift Region is quickly be fizzled out as fast as it had come, and the regio is rapidly drifting towards the ODM. Some of the MPs in the area who are have recently turned to be hostile towards the ODM are said to be heading for political limbos come the next general election, which could see completely new faces of MP in the region.

The two Counties of Kericho and Bomet are currently represented in the10th parliament by 8 MPS representing Kipkellion, Ainamoi, Belut, Konoin, Buret, Sotik, Chepalungu an Bomet. All the present legislators were elected on Dom tickets including that of one extra seat in Kuresoi constituency in Molo.

Four of the MPs have since ditched ODM for URP. They included Dr Julius Kones, {Konoin},Isaack Ruto {Chepalungu}, Charles Keter {Belgut} and Benjamin Lang’at {Ainmoi}, The Kuresoi mp Zakayo Cheruiyot had also abandoned the ODM.

However, four of the MP remained steadfastly in ODM.They are Franklin Bett {Buret}. Dr Joyce Laboso {Sotik}, Magerer Lang’at Kipkellion} and Beatrice Kones {Bomet}.

The region was recently awarded with two additional parliamentary seats by the IEBC one in Sigowet in lower region of Belgut district an Kipkellion West..This now means that the Kipsigis region will now post 10 MPs to the next parliament after the impeding general elections

Ends