By Anderson Ojwang
KANU national chairman Gideon Moi poured out his heart, saying he gave President William Ruto the best of his sacrifice.
Moi went ahead to apologise to the people and electorate of Baringo County for stepping down from the senatorial by-election in favour of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) candidate after a political agreement with Ruto.
“I gave you my best sacrifice. From the bottom of my heart and from a sincere point of view. I apologise to the residents of Baringo County,” he said.
Moi told Ruto to stop pedestrian talks and sideshows, but instead fulfil the agreement they signed.
“Stop the pedestrian talks, sideshows. Fulfil what the agreement was,” he said.
Moi spoke during a meeting with delegates from the Rift Valley, where he rejected the politics of dishonesty, hypocrisy and malicious attacks on people’s names and character.
“We must reject the politics of dishonesty, hypocrisy, and malicious attacks on people’s names and character,” he said.
Moi said leaders must be honest and sincere in their words and deeds and deliver on their promises and agreements.
**“As leaders, we have a duty to uphold sincerity, honour our commitments, and deliver on the promises we make to the people.
Our collective responsibility is to work together, rise above divisive politics, and pursue a shared vision of a cohesive, united, and prosperous Kenya.
Today, I had the pleasure of engaging and addressing delegates from across the Rift Valley Region at Kabarak, Nakuru County,”** he said.
The deal
Ruto prevailed on Moi and lured him to drop his interest and instead join the broad-based government arrangement project.
Ruto held a private meeting with Moi at State House, following which the latter failed to present his nomination papers to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
A section of residents of Baringo threatened to protest at the graveyard of the late President Daniel Moi to express their disappointment and suffering.
In the 2022 general election, the late William Cheptumo won the race by garnering 147,177 votes against Moi’s 71,480 and was poised to win the by-election against UDA candidate Kiprono Chemitei.
Gideon would have started the campaign with a strong 71,480 votes, and the changing political terrain in the county had endeared the electorate to him, but he blew the chance.
UDA candidate Vincent Kiprono Chemitei won the election after garnering 56,236 votes against David Kipruto, who received 13,037 votes. A total of 72,998 votes were cast.
The game of politics
Ruto then told the residents that he had prevailed on Gideon to withdraw his candidature and join him in uniting the country.
“To the family of our father, Daniel Moi, and the people of Baringo, let me thank God for allowing us to gather here, at Kabarak, the home of our father, the second president of Kenya,” he said.
Ruto then told the gathering that it was he who convinced Moi to drop his candidature and join his government.
“I am happy. When I spoke with my brother Gideon, we discussed and planned about the old, previous, current, and future issues.
After we had agreed on all the issues, the problem of who and where the message was to be delivered came into play. I told him, Kabarak was the best venue. Because Kabarak is our home. Nobody welcomes us here at Kabarak. We are at home.
I understand Kabarak better. I know all the rooms and everything here at Kabarak. If there was a person closer to Moi in his last years as President of Kenya, it was William Ruto,” he said.
President Ruto said he was the one who approached Gideon and announced that KANU would be joining the broad-based government.
**“I told Gideon, kindly join me and let us pull the country together. I have explained to him that we need to move this country to the next level. And I have looked for my brother Gideon. I told him it is time for us to move Kenya to the next level.
We must work together, and that is why I looked for Gideon. I told him, I want you to come and help me pull this country together to elevate it to the next level. If there is a mistake anywhere, blame it on me,”** he said.
The fix
Gideon, in a statement then, wrote: “We’ve elected to pursue the path of unity and shared purpose at this crucial point in our nation. As such, I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the people of Baringo for their support and for granting us a chance to move beyond our differences and mould a cohesive and prosperous nation.”
The fallout
President Ruto, in a past post on his social media platforms, poured cold water on the marriage and left the two leading leaders from the Rift Valley to engage in an open battle.
In Gideon’s hands, he is wielding the power of the pen, the Fourth Estate, and Kenya’s oldest newspaper, The Standard Media Group, to wreak havoc on President Ruto and his administration.
Collapse
President Ruto, in his post on his X handle — and the only post of the day by the time we went to press — was hard-hitting and set the tone for the battle lane.
Ruto wrote: “Gideon Moi, your Standard Media’s 5 days a week EXTORTIONIST propaganda HEADLINES on me and my administration’s transformative track record will get you NOTHING and NOWHERE. BLACKMAIL to yield to your GREED? Never! Kenya belongs to all Kenyans, not you alone. Jaribu 8 days a week. Do your WORST.”
The pregnant tweet did not only sever the marriage but also opened the door to a bitter contest between the two leaders, which may leave the Kalenjin community sharply divided ahead of next year’s general elections.
Up the sleeves
What could Moi be plotting against Ruto, or could he be planning to contest for the presidency?
