[Deputy President William Ruto in a past rally. He was forced to periodically cut short his speech due to hostility in Kericho. Photo/Nation]
Deputy President William Ruto had another day yet to forget in his Rift Valley home turf barely a week after facing hostility at Iten in Elgeyo Marakwet County.
The country’s second in command has been fighting rebellion in the vote rich region and was not spared either at Fortenan in Kipkelion West during his Thursday’s tour with President Uhuru Kenyatta.
With his firm stand to elect only Jubilee candidates from his home turf, the DP had to periodically cut short his speech due to heckling from thousands of members of the public who had attended the rally.
Despite holding fairly credible nominations, hundreds of disgruntled aspirants who defected to vie as independents have been causing jitters in Kenyatta’s Jubilee party.
Last week in Eldoret, Ruto faced a similar scenario from disgruntled Keiyo community members who felt shortchanged when Ruto publically endorsed Uasin Gishu Governor Jackson Mandago over his close rival Zedekiah Bundotich alias Buzeki.
And in Kipkelion, supporters of area MP Jackson Rop who is defending his seat as independent shouted down the DP and threatened to defect to NASA after the DP called for a six piece voting pattern.
For atleast 20 minutes, a visibly shocked Ruto stared helplessly at the crowd before Kenyatta taking over.