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By Wycliffe Odera and Brian Okoth
Tens of youths in Nyalenda in Kisumu are hunting a group of people who conned them out of their Ksh500 each under the pretext that they (con artists) would help them secure one-on-one meeting with Deputy President William Ruto during the DP’s planned tour of the county.
According to some of the victims, who spoke to K24 Digital on Friday, October 2, the “organisers” assured the youths that they would receive a big financial boost after meeting Ruto “who is generous to a fault”. The con artists told their victims that the DP “will visit Kisumu on Saturday, October 3”.
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“We have now learnt that the DP’s visit to Kisumu has not even been confirmed, and that the said-organisers do not even know Ruto’s protocol staff,” said one of the victims.
Bernard Odinga, a resident of Kisumu, referred to the “planners” of the said-one-on-one meeting with Ruto as “conmen”.
“The Deputy President is a high-ranking Government official, who is a public servant. No one should pay to see him or attend his functions,” said Odinga.
Members of the said-organising team have since gone into hiding.
Late last month, it was rumoured that the Deputy President was planning a visit to Kisumu after holding successful rallies in Kisii County.
The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Party officials in Kisumu consequently urged Ruto to avoid direct verbal attacks against Raila Odinga should he (Ruto) visit Kisumu County late September.
The DP’s handlers were reported to be planning his tour of the Nyanza county after Ruto held well-attended rallies in Kisii on September 10. The official tour date remained uncommunicated.
It was reported that the DP was relying on his recent political acquisition, Eliud Owalo, and former Kisumu Trade and Industrialisation executive, Richard Ogendo, to lay the groundwork for his maiden visit to Kisumu.
The coordinating committee chairperson of ODM in Kisumu, Prof. Ayiecho Olweny, on September 18 said that the DP was welcome to the county, but should be cautious against engaging in bitter verbal assault against ODM leader Raila Odinga.
“If someone insults your friend, your father, your associate, you won’t be happy. We always watch him (DP Ruto) on television insulting the [ODM] Party leader. We are requesting him not to do that when he tours Kisumu,” Olweny told K24 Digital.
“If he decides to insult the party leader, most likely, his utterances would cause problems at the function. Chances are high that some people who will attend his event won’t be his supporters, but those of the [former] prime minister. They would be at his function out of curiosity or just to listen to what he has to say. Therefore, if he insults the party leader in their presence, they might yell at him, and that won’t be good,” added Olweny.
