Former Nandi Hills Member of Parliament (MP) Alfred Keter has come out to state that President William Ruto has been taking Rift Valley votes for granted.

This comes after the president appeared to lament, during the burial of Roads and Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir’s father in Bomet, the low voter registration turnout in his political backyard.

In a statement shared on his social media handles on Friday, May 1, 2025, Keter, a sharp critic of President Ruto, reacted to the remarks, saying the president has now realised that “things are thick” and has resorted to his backyard for political support.

The president had, in Bomet, urged his community to support him, saying he was being forced to seek backing from other regions in order to consolidate numbers ahead of the 2027 elections, since his own backyard had not turned up in large numbers to register as voters.

Keter, however, offered a sharp rebuttal, saying the president should instead focus on addressing the rising fuel prices attributed to the US-Iran tensions before asking Kenyans for political support or ‘rescue’.

“William Ruto has always been taking the Kalenjin voters for granted, but he has now realised that things are tough! Wantam Is Wantam! Save Kenyans from the hiked fuel prices first,” Keter posted.

Ruto’s regime

Alfred Keter has always been heavy on President William Ruto’s administration.

In a post shared on X on Sunday, November 9, 2025, Keter compared the president to a school principal who, despite producing poor results, insists on lecturing parents rather than addressing the core problems.

“William Ruto is like a school principal who, after posting a mean score of D-, will continue to nag the parents about how they should not transfer students to other schools since he has a solid plan! Happy Sunday, Average Thinkers!” Keter wrote.

Mule’s perspective

Matungulu MP Stephen Mule has also taken a swipe at President Ruto’s lamentations over his kinsmen, saying it shows that things are completely bad for the president.

He said it is hard to imagine a sitting president lamenting and pleading with his own backyard to register as voters, arguing that it reflects a worrying political situation for the head of state.