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Deputy President William Ruto has drawn a red line on what choices his supporters have in his strongholds in the Rift Valley region, asking them to elect only the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) candidates.

Ruto beseeched voters in his backyard not to deny him “foot soldiers” to fight for him in Parliament, saying if he is elected President, he will need people to push his agenda in the National Assembly and the Senate.

Speaking during his campaigns in the Rift Valley region on Sunday and yesterday, the DP warned against voting for candidates sponsored by other parties under the Kenya Kwanza Alliance, saying he had built UDA from scratch and expected to reap many seats in next month’s General Election.

Speaking at Kapkatet Stadium in Kericho on Sunday, Ruto switched to his Kalenjin language as he made a plea to the supporters not to let him down.

Ruto formed UDA last year after falling out with President Uhuru Kenyatta who is the ruling Jubilee Party leader.

Chama Cha Mashinani

On Sunday, Ruto said it would be embarrassing if UDA appeared weak in his stronghold.

Recent opinion polls showed the party was the most popular countrywide followed by Raila Odinga’s Orange Democratic Movement.

“I have built a party and it has been received well across the country. Do you want it to die at home? Parties are for seeking friendships and unifying people. If it is weak here at home, what does that mean? I am begging you to vote for UDA so the party is strong enough for me to rule the whole country. We want MCA, MP, senator, Woman Rep and governor from UDA,” said the DP.

The DP made the plea in the presence of Chama Cha Mashinani (CCM) leader Isaac Ruto who is leading a group of candidates seeking to cause an upset by snatching some of the seats in the region from UDA.

The former Bomet Governor is seeking to recapture the county’s top seat which he lost in the 2017 election. The CCM candidate is facing incumbent Governor Hillary Barchok of UDA.

Barchok, who was deputy governor until 2019, took over following the death of Governor Joyce Laboso.

CCM has fielded candidates for most of the seats in the region, which has caused unease in UDA. There  is also a sizeable number of independent candidates who left UDA after losing in the party’s primaries in April.

“Please don’t let me become a laughing stock. Everyone is supporting me everywhere, do not let me down. Every person who has registered must vote for us. We don’t want 99 per cent turnout. Where has the one per cent gone? We want everyone to vote for us,” he said.

Gachagua plea

His running mate Rigathi Gachagua said the Mt Kenya region would vote for Ruto and all UDA candidates and urged the Rift Valley region to follow suit.

“An independent candidate does not have MCA, MP, senator, president, how can they help you? I have heard you telling us about independent candidates. Don’t annoy us Mt Kenya people. We have decided to vote for Ruto and give him foot soldiers,” Gachagua, the Mathira MP, said at the rally.

Gachagua said they had made sacrifices to support the DP and wondered why some people in the Rift Valley region were not doing the same.

“When we see you toying with independent candidates, we feel bad,” he added.

When he spoke at Kapkatet, Ruto (Isaac), expressed his dissatisfaction with the way candidates of other Kenya Kwanza parties were being treated during the rally, and demanded that they be allowed to address the gathering. “All candidates must be allowed to speak. It is not fair to discriminate against candidates in Kenya Kwanza,” he said.

Huge turnout

Although he did not speak about the six-piece vote call, he has always dismissed UDA’s campaign to lock out other affiliate parties from the region.

Instead, he has been asking voters to elect Ruto for president but vote for him as governor.

“We are members of the Kenya Kwanza coalition. Having more people from other parties vying will ensure there is a huge turnout for Ruto,” the former governor said.

In the North Rift on Monday, Ruto asked supporters to reject independent candidates and those sponsored by other parties.

His main targets included Kesses MP Swarup Mishra and his counterparts Sila Tiren (Moiben) and Alfred Keter (Nandi Hills). The DP asked voters to elect only UDA candidates.

The three are defending their seats as independent candidates and hope to upset the apple cart in the UDA stronghold.