Buzeki quits CCM over Isaac’s move to join DP
Chama cha Mashinani (CCM) Secretary General Zedekiah Kiprop alias Buzeki quit the party in a huff yesterday as the fallout over former Bomet governor Isaac Rutto’s defection to Deputy President William Ruto’s camp rumble continues.
Maintaining he is not going to join the hustlers’ movement, a decision taken by the party boss, Buzeki said he will soon be announcing his next political move noting he does not subscribe to the ideologies of the DP.
Buzeki who joined CCM party recently had in December also threatened to quit after Ruto declared he is going to support the Baringo senator Gideon Moi should he declare his interest in the Presidential seat come 2022.
Buzeki accused the former governor of making unilateral decisions without consultations. Ruto had attended a Kanu BBI popularisation in Bomet when he announced.
He, however, later retracted it after concerns were raised some party officials and members only saying he was quoted out of context.
Not trustworthy
The former governor’s defection to the DP’s camp has significantly boosted his grip on the Rift Valley voting bloc ahead of next year’s general election.
Rutto alongside Kanu national chairman Gideon Moi and Secretary General Nick Salat have been leading the anti-DP onslaught in the populous region.
On Friday, the former Bomet governor defected into the DP’s camp promising unwavering support for him in 2022.
While taking a swipe at President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga, the CCM party boss claimed they duped into throwing his ‘brother’ under the bus but, “I have now come back and I will fully support you as you go for the top seat”.
Moi has been relying on the CCM’s leader in the region due to his popularity and it now remains to be seen how is going to maneuver in order to beat the DP in the region.
Salat has, however, said he is not surprised with the former governor’s move to rejoin hands with the DP.
He said he has always known him to be a man who is not trustworthy and that his defection to the DP’s camp might be short-lived since no one will give him the attention he needs.
“To us in Kanu his move has not come as a blow, it has not affected us in any way since this is someone who has always had many demands to be fulfilled which no one can meet and that is what is making him to hop from one camp to another,” he stated.
Speaking to People Daily, the Kanu secretary general further took on the CCM leader it was not policies or conviction that has made him to join the DP’s side but there were other underlying issues forced him to join “because you cannot be with Uhuru today, tomorrow you are with Raila and the next day you are with Ruto.”
He, however, maintained that as a party they will continue selling their agenda to the people ahead of 2022, “since the people are the ones who are going to vote.”
The DP who seemed to be alive to this fact reminded him that should he go astray as he did in 2017 he risked being thrown into political oblivion.
“These people gave you a break in 2017 and if you move away from them again they will reject you again until your retirement,” he told him during the function at Ndanai in Sotik on Friday.
Ruto’s defection also means a lot to the building bridges initiative (BBI) in the region since he has been the point man.
Ruto was chosen to spearhead the popularization campaign in the South rift region.
But Salat was quick to dismiss it saying the former Buret MP Paul Sang was the BBI regional coordinator and not Ruto.
Kipkemoi Barsumei, a political analyst in the region, termed Ruto’s defection as a huge blow not only to KANU’s influence in the region but has also thrown a spanner at works to the BBI.
“The man has a great following in the region and has a decisive sway on the Kipsigis vote which is the most populous sub tribe of the Kalenjin, his move will definitely create a significant change in the region,” he says.
“His change of heart is going to diminish the prospects of BBI in the region and might see it being rejected in totality.”
