By Betty Luke
Exactly seven months after Deputy President William Ruto was heckled by a group of youths during his visit in Isiolo County, his last Sunday visit was once again marred by protests from a group of boda boda operators over disagreement on payment to escort him during the tour.
Although the youths who heckled the DP during his previous visit had a month later confessed that they were reportedly paid by a senior politician in the county, Governor Mohammed Kuti had Saturday dismissed claims of plans to disrupt DP Ruto’s tour saying he was free to visit the county.
“There is no plan to disrupt anyone’s meeting but those coming should ensure decorum during their meetings,” Dr Kuti said in reference to the DP.
The DP had visited to fundraise for Isiolo Catholic church during Family Day celebrations.
A group of disgruntled bodaboda operators held demonstrations outside the church, where Dr Ruto and several MPs were attending a church service accusing Ms Jaldesa of failing to respond to their grievances.
The group holding anti-Jaldesa placards vowed to send her home in the coming 2022 General Elections for ‘sidelining’ them.
After the church service, the politicians held a rally in town where the group expressed disapproval with Ms Jaldesa forcing her to opt not to speak to spare Dr Ruto the shame.
The irate team demanded their Chairperson Moses Miriti be allowed to present their grievances to Dr Ruto and the DP obliged.
“We must speak out. Whoever is representing you here is failing us. We want to know what you have for us as boda boda operators,” Mr Miriti told the DP while asking him to extend his bodaboda empowerment programs to the county like he does in other areas.
In response, the DP maintained that he had come for a church event promising that he would plan to visit the team, at a later date, saying the MP had just requested him to say hi to the group.
But Ms Jaldesa told off the group saying she will not allow anyone to intimidate her with threats of not reelecting her in 2022.
While delivering Sh2 million donated by DP Ruto to market committee members in Isiolo town, Ms Jaldesa revealed that she had requested officials of bodaboda riders group to avail 100 riders to escort the DP promising to pay them Sh1000 each.
The faction declined saying that they were so many members and demanded that at least 400 riders, be involved in the task.
Bowing to their requests, Ms Jaldesa allowed them to bring a team of 200 riders insisting that she would not add the amount as she was already financially strained as was solely shouldering the entire event’s expenses.
According to Ms Jaldesa, the protests forced her to inform the DP, while the service went on, of what was actually happening and he agreed to give them Sh500, 000 which they reportedly declined.
“I informed him (DP) after they started protesting outside the church compound and he told me to give them the money they wanted. On calling them, they said they wanted Sh700, 000 and demanded it to be paid up front,” Ms Jaldesa told journalists in Isiolo town.
The legislator claimed the young men were paid by her opponents to embarass and frustrate her plan of ensuring the church got some assistance.
“What will their noises do to me? If that is what will send me home, I am ready for it. I would rather go get a position if Ruto (DP) wins than allow intimidation” she said.
But the group denied the claims saying they were dissatisfied that the MP did not want to involve the whole team as would have been unfair picking some and leaving out others.
“She requested for a group of 100 riders but we told her that we have more than 4, 000 riders and involving some and leaving the rest would have been unfair,” said Mr Miriti.
The group has maintained that they will not allow any politician to divide them and urged Ms Jaldesa to meet them so they can iron out their differences.
“We urge her to cool down. If things did not go well for you it does not mean that either we or you have a problem,” said Mohammud Ahmed, one of the riders’ officials.
