The feud between Baringo Senator Gideon Moi and Cherangany MP Joshua Kutuny has intensified after the MP said he was ready to part ways with the Kanu chairman.
Kutuny accused Gideon of frustrating Kalenjins perceived to be allied to Deputy President William Ruto.
Kutuny says he is not ready to be party to schemes by the Baringo Senator to identify and sack from government elites from Rift Valley who were either helped to get jobs by the DP or allied to him.
“Am ready to severe political ties with Gideon if that will be the cost of me standing up to speak the truth and defend our people,” said Kutuny.
He accused Gideon of trying to mislead President Uhuru Kenyatta to sack Ruto allies so that they are replaced by his close allies from Baringo.
The MP however insisted that his feud with Gideon does not mean in any way that he would support Ruto but his main focus was the interest of the community.
Speaking at Osorongai in Cherangany, Kutuny said he had discovered that Gideon was not fit to lead the Kalenjin community claiming that the Baringo Senator harboured selfish interests which cannot benefit the community.
Kutuny was in the area to commission a rural electrification project.
“If he thinks he is the one to lead us and take us to Canaan then that is misplaced because he should first go to Baringo and put his own house in order before thinking of leading the community,” said Kutuny.
He likened Gideon to a monkey that does not see it own back but laughs at others.
The feud between the two may further cause splits in Rift politics with the possible emergence of a third political force in the region.
Gideon has been tussling with DP Ruto over control of politics in the region but turmoil has erupted in the camp led by the Baringo Senator whose network of supporters is threatened with disintegration ahead of the 2022 polls.
Early this week Kutuny accused Gideon of “not having the interests of the people of Rift Valley at heart”.
On Friday, he insisted that his remarks on Gideon were true and he would not reconcile with the Baringo Senator.
Gideon has been identifying Kalenjins who are perceived to support Ruto then he sacrifices them so that he gets to appoint those who come from his home county and who are loyal to him. Going forward, we will not allow anyone from Rift Valley to be removed.
“It’s not a must that we support anyone else. Our concern will remain the welfare of our people like farmers as has been the case”, said Kutuny.
Kutuny was quoted last week saying he thought Gideon "is better than the DP but he has turned out to be a wolf in a sheep’s skin”.
The vocal legislator and fierce critic of the DP said, “Gideon is now an enemy of the people of Rift Valley. He is identifying civil servants especially CEOs and managing directors from the region then engineering their sacking on the basis that they are allied to DP.”
Kutuny is the face of Jubilee's Kieleweke faction in the expansive Rift Valley.
The genesis of the falling out between Kutuny and Gideon is the changes made at the Kenya Rural Roads Authority.
Both had agreed that Luka Kimeli, the former Kura managing director and a Cherang’any constituent, be confirmed as the substantive director general.
However, Gideon, according to Kutuny, went against the deal "which had been endorsed by the President" and instead influenced the appointment of Philemon Kandie to the post. Kandie is from Baringo.
“We met and agreed that Kimeli will be confirmed but I was surprised to see a different name. Gideon wants to eat the fruits of Kieleweke yet he is a passive member. In fact, he has not participated in it but now wants to be the one controlling our plans,” he said.
“This was the point of departure between me and Gideon and we will deal with him and his Kanu if this is his style of leadership.”
Kutuny also accused Gideon of engineering changes at the Kenya Power board which saw, among others, former Nandi Woman Representative Zipporah Kering sacked.
He said that despite his fallout with Gideon, he will not back Ruto. He declared he will continue supporting Uhuru and ODM leader Raila Odinga.
Kutuny insisted he would take an independent stand to fight for what he believes to be the rights of the people in the region.
“I will not be swayed by anyone to change my position because my interest is to partner with leaders who will not work against our own people especially civil servants who rightly deserve to occupy the positions they have in government”, said Kutuny.
The lawmaker said he would not be party to a scheme to sack civil servants from the region on the basis of politics.
The MP said he was already in talks with some of his colleagues from the region so that they remain steadfast in support of Uhuru and Raila while helping to address challenges affecting residents.
Kutuny met with Elgeyo Marakwet governor Alex Tolgos, Nandi Hills MP Alfred Keter and Moiben MP Sila Tiren to try and iron out differences in Gideon’s camp but the meeting did not yield results.
The Cherengany MP is expected to attend several meetings in his constituency in a move to explain to his supporters about his latest political move and his plans.
Last week he skipped a key meeting in Eldoret where Gideon along with Tolgos, Tiren and Ainabkoi MP William Chepkut attended prayers hosted by the Nandi Kanu branch.
The meeting was held less than a kilometre from Kutuny’s home in Eldoret.