After promising stadiums, Uhuru, Ruto fight over primary school pitch
Supporters of President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Deputy William Ruto at the weekend engaged in a bitter fight both physically and on social media over which of them had the right to use a primary school football pitch.
The fight comes days to a highly anticipated mini-poll in Kiambaa constituency, where President Kenyatta’s Jubilee political outfit and Ruto’s UDA have fielded candidates.
Murang’a Senator Irungu Kang’ata, a staunch Ruto ally, started the war of words on Twitter, claiming Jubilee had deployed the police to bar UDA-sponsored teams from playing a local football tournament at the Karuri Primary School despite having made an advance reservation.
POLICE have been deployed to block UDA sponsored sports finals in Banana Kiambaa constituency which had been booked in advance. pic.twitter.com/kcAXSSb2DK
— Irungu Kang'ata (@HonKangata) July 11, 2021
Kang’ata’s stance was supported by Dennis Itumbi, who consistently advocates being the DP staunchest ally
Itumbi, the self-christened DP Ruto’s hustler nation spokesperson was emphatic that no amount of political dictatorship and intimidation would make UDA cower.
The entire @UDAKenya team is headed to Karuri Primary, where Police have blocked The Kiambaa Hustlers Tournament Finals despite a booking in May, 2021.
Our Football Awards will go on. On that field.
Hii siasa ya Kifua & Intimidation by Jubilee must be faced head on.
Leo ni Leo pic.twitter.com/ddOqR7YCcu
— Dennis Itumbi, HSC (@OleItumbi) July 11, 2021
The clash over a primary school football pitch is ironical as it comes nine years after the President and his Deputy promised to build Kenyans that they will, of elected, build five state-of-the-art stadiums that will be able to host international competitions, including the Africa Cup of Nations.
This has not happened.
And four years ago while seeking re-elections, Ruto conceeded the government ‘had not kept some of the promises it had made’ but further promised the government will build nine stadiums.
The debacle on weekend played out even as Jubilee and UDA are interlocked into a fierce battle over Kiambaa’s parliamentary seat in a hotly contested by election coming Thursday.
Uhuru’s Jubilee has mobilized resources and intensified campaign for it’s candidate Kariri Njama who is facing stiff competition from UDA’s Njuguna Wanjiku among other candidates.
Among Jubilee’s political heavyweights who are drumming support for Kariri is Kiambu County’s governor James Nyoro who has urged residents not to gamble with Kiambaa leadership by voting a candidate from a different party