Baringo County Governor’s Cup finals took an unexpected turn on Sunday as Roads and Transport Cabinet Secretary, Kipchumba Murkomen, faced hecklers during the men’s finals. The disgruntled residents, captured in videos from the event, were heard shouting “Ruto must go” as CS Murkomen delivered his speech.
The crowd was heard chanting, “Ruto must go,” expressing their frustration towards FKF officials, particularly Mr. Ruto, whom they felt was not addressing their concerns.
Contrary to initial assumptions, Murkomen clarified that the chants were not directed at President William Ruto but targeted a local Football Kenya Federation official named Kenneth Ruto.
The incident unfolded during the highly anticipated men’s finals, which were eventually postponed due to protests led by Baringo Youth FC from Kabarnet, Baringo Central. The team contested their loss against Chemogoch FC from Mogotio, leading to escalating tensions as both the Baringo Central team and their fans expressed dissatisfaction with the handling of the situation, specifically directing their ire at the FKF official.
CS Murkomen, who was present to support Governor Benjamin Cheboi and the Onesimus Kipchumba Murkomen Peace Cup, released a statement shedding light on the matter. He explained that the disgruntled residents were venting their frustration towards Mr. Ruto, the FKF official, whom they believed was not adequately addressing their concerns.
“Being the home team, and with their fans constituting more than half of the stadium, it was impossible to proceed with the match,” Murkomen stated. “The players and the fans poured their frustrations on FKF officials, especially one Mr. Ruto, whom they felt was not addressing their concerns.”
The confusion surrounding the incident arose from the shared surname with President William Ruto, leading some to initially believe that the chants were politically motivated. However, Murkomen emphasized that the residents were focused on issues related to the football match and were not making a political statement against the president.
As tensions mounted, the men’s finals were eventually postponed, showcasing the intensity of the situation and the emotions running high among the players and fans. The episode also brings attention to the broader challenges faced by local football federations and the need for effective communication and conflict resolution mechanisms in such tournaments.
Despite the incident, CS Murkomen remained committed to promoting the positive aspects of sports, emphasizing its potential to unite communities.
“Sports can be emotive, but football is a beautiful and popular game that can be used to foster peace. A friend who followed the incident joked that we should stick to athletics,” he said
The video has attracted reactions from political scenes, where one Julius Kones said; “There is a growing concern of high level of intolerance from Rift Valley Youths. The underlying reasons needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency. Last week, the booed CS Chirchir in Bomet, and today Kabarnet youths did the same to CS Murkomen.”
On his part, former Nandi Hills MP Alfred Keter said, “Kalenjins are united as one people and so is Rift Valley, whether you are in Bomet-Sotik or you are in Baringo-Kabarnet we are all a united nation. If you know you know!”
