Deputy President William Ruto and Majority Leader Aden Duale were on Wednesday forced to quell Senate Majority Leader Kipchumba Murkomen who was to be removed as the chairman of Rift Valley Parliamentary group.
When the DP got wind that the MPs were determined to remove Murkomen as the chairman of the caucus, he called some vocal MPs to suspend the idea.
Murkonem met the DP at his official residence in Karen on Wednesday morning. Details of the meeting are scanty, with sources only saying “they discussed issues regarding his position as the Senate Majority leader”.
The meeting brought together at least 48 MPs from the Kalenjin community at Weston Hotel. Sources who attended said the legislators read the riot act to Murkomen, Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi, Joshua Kuttuny (Cherangany) and Cornelly Serem (Aldai).
They warned them to desist from making reckless statements on behalf of the community.
An MP said, “The issue that was so hot was the statements the leaders have issued, purporting to represent those of other leaders or even speaking on behalf of the DP.”
It was resolved that any statement or remarks to be made by the leaders that touches the community or the DP should be sanctioned by the group.
Murkomen this week said people trying to undermine the Deputy President to the extent of frustrating his chances of succeeding President Uhuru Kenyatta are in his [Uhuru] office. Sudi said the lifestyle audit directed by the President was targeting the DP.
Kuttuny has been accused of working with people from Mt Kenya behind the anti-Ruto propaganda.
Murkomen yesterday said the meeting was not about 2022 succession politics, but development.
But the Cherengany MP said supporting the DP’s 2022 bid was part of the meeting’s resolutions. The meeting at Weston in Nairobi was snubbed by Kanu lawmakers from Rift Valley led by their chairman and Baringo Senator Gideon Moi.
The meeting, however, has caused jitters among some Mt Kenya Jubilee leaders, with Nyeri Town MP Ngunjiri Wambugu warning his colleagues backing Ruto’s 2022 presidential bid to “wake up”.
“Some of my colleagues from Mt Kenya have been all over the place telling our voters how we have a debt to pay to William Ruto. They presented themselves as being right at the centre of Team Ruto,” Ngunjiri said in a statement on his Twitter handle.
The Nyeri Town legislator questioned why his Mt Kenya colleagues were not invited to the meeting. Murkomen dismissed him, saying the gathering was for Rift Valley leaders.
“I hope they wake up and smell the coffee. You can never belong where you don’t belong. (Ask me, I know). So respect ‘the man’ who leads our community today and you will be respected if you ever get that privilege; within and without,” Ngunjiri said.
Murkomen hit back at Ngunjiri, questioning why no Rift Valley lawmakers complained when their colleagues from Mt Kenya caucus meet to discuss regional issues.
“How can people attend the meeting of other regions? he said.
