No thank you! MPs to DP Ruto on jobs offer

A section of aspiring Members of Parliament (MPs), who will run as independent candidates in the August 8 General Election, have told off Deputy President William Ruto over job offers he had promised them if they shelf their ambitions in favour of Jubilee candidates.

Ainamoi Member of Parliament, Benjamin Langat, and Nairobi-based businessman, Kipsenget Koros, who will run for Soin/Sigowet Parliamentary seat, argue that their respective political bids were founded on a philosophy to serve the electorate and not to secure jobs for the sake of it.

MP Langat argued that he would have considered DP Ruto’s job offer had it come before he publicly declared that he was going to defend the seat as an independent candidate.

On his part, Koros argued that any other job would deny him the legislative chance to draft bills which would transform the social, economic state of Soin/Sigowet residents.

“Soin/Sigowet constituents who are largely sugarcane farmers have continued to suffer because of lack of a brilliant leader to represent them in Parliament. I ask the Deputy President William Ruto to reserve the job that he promised me for area legislator Justice Kemei because I am confident that I am going to defeat him in the August polls,” he said.

“As independent candidates, we are happy to note that democratic space has been opened in the county; and that the residents are determined to vote the leaders they want despite the contrary campaign by Jubilee leaders against independent candidates,” said Koros.

DP Ruto, who was accompanied by President Uhuru Kenyatta  during their campaign visit to Kericho one week ago, came face to face with the independent candidates at stop-overs at Kipsitet, Fort-Ternan, Brooke, Kericho town among other trading centres, where residents rejected Jubilee’s proposal for six-piece voting model.

Kipsitet trading center residents chanted Koros’ name during the Presidency’s visit to Kericho. Koros is locked in a fierce competition with Soin/Sigowet incumbent MP Justice Kemei, who is flying the jubilee flag.

The same scenario was replicated at Fort-Ternan trading center, where Kipkelion West MP Jackson Rop is fighting to retain his seat as an independent candidate against former Kenya Bureau of Standards director Hillary Koskei who clinched the Jubilee ticket.

Ruto and Uhuru also ran into the independent candidates’ iceberg at Brooke trading center and Kericho town, where supporters of Langat turned up in large numbers to demonstrate solidarity with the MP against Jubilee candidate Sylvanus Maritim.

The situation forced the DP to dangle the jobs carrot as he pleaded with the independent candidates whom he said were his “friends” to withdraw from the race in favour of the Jubilee candidates.

Other independent candidates inKericho County include Bureti MP Leonard Sang, his Belgut counterpart Erick Keter and Joseph Cherorot, who is eying the Kipkelion East Parliamentary seat.