NASA leader Raila Odinga, alongside former Bomet governor Isaac Ruto. [Photo|Kenyans.co.ke]
Chama Cha Mashinani (CCM) party leader, former Bomet governor Isaac Ruto, now says he did not defect to the ruling President Uhuru Kenyatta's Jubilee Party.
He dumped the National Super Alliance (NASA), where he was the fifth co-principal, few days after the August 8 general election, and declared his support for Uhuru and his deputy, William Ruto, during a campaign rally in Kapkatet, Kericho County, September 8.
The move angered NASA supporters, who claimed he took NASA leaders for a ride, by failing to gather enough votes for the coalition.
The move also elicited mixed reactions, given that Ruto had declared never to work with Jubilee.
However, Ruto has indicated that he still leads his CCM party, and never defected to Jubilee, adding that he supports Kenyatta, since most of the residents in Bomet, and the larger South Rift region, voted for him.
Speaking to a local online daily, Friday, he said: "I was persuaded by the need to keep the community together and the fact that 60% of the people who voted for me still voted for Uhuru Kenyatta. Only 35% agreed with me and voted NASA. I have not defected. I am still the party leader of Chama Cha Mashinani."