Kericho Senator and Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot has accused the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) of attempting to blackmail and sabotage President William Ruto over the ongoing standoff concerning the Roads Maintenance Levy Fund (RMLF).
In a strongly worded statement posted online, Cheruiyot defended President Ruto from recent criticism and took aim at ODM leaders, stating, “It’s quite hard being WSR.” He claimed ODM lawmakers, like their National Assembly counterparts, are bent on retaining control of the RMLF while unfairly blaming the president.
“The Senate has stood with the Council of Governors (CoG) on this matter to the best of its abilities, albeit with minimal success,” he said. Cheruiyot specifically singled out Kisumu Governor and ODM Deputy Party Leader Anyang’ Nyong’o, calling his recent remarks “a very poor blackmail attempt.”
Governor Nyong’o, in a hard-hitting letter released earlier, had blasted President Ruto’s administration for what he described as deliberate efforts to undermine devolution.
He accused the president of trying to centralize power by pushing for national control over the RMLF, which counties insist they are entitled to.
“The Kenya Urban Roads Authority (KURA) and Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA) need not exist if the national government is prepared to fully implement devolution,” Nyong’o wrote, warning that Ruto’s stance mirrors the centralized control of the Nyayo era.
Nyong’o further argued that the national government’s inefficiency in managing institutions like the Kenyatta National Hospital is evidence that devolution works better for service delivery.
The battle over RMLF has pitted governors against MPs and the executive, with the Council of Governors maintaining that counties are better positioned to handle road construction. Meanwhile, President Ruto insists that central management will eliminate overlapping roles and ensure more efficient use of public resources.
As political temperatures rise, the National Assembly’s Departmental Committee on Roads, Infrastructure, and Energy remains the key player in determining how the funds will ultimately be distributed.
