Deputy President William Ruto yesterday took a swipe at his boss when he told President Uhuru Kenyatta to focus on his retirement and stop imposing Orange Democratic Movement leader Raila Odinga on Kenyans.
Addressing his supporters in Vihiga County, the DP said Kenyans should be left to vote in their next preferred presidential candidate without interference from the government.
“Kenyans are the ones who will manage the succession through their votes,” he said.
Dr Ruto was campaigning with other Kenya Kwanza Alliance leaders Musalia Mudavadi of Amani National Congress and Moses Wetang’ula of Ford-Kenya. The meetings began with a church service at Mwichio ACK in Emuhaya.
Dr Ruto said that proponents of Azimio la Umoja are only interested in creating positions for themselves.
He said the Kenya Kwanza Alliance’s plan is to uplift the plight of the poor and vulnerable through the bottom-up economic model, the Pesa Mfukoni (Money in the Pocket) approach and promote Haki na Usawa (Justice and Equality) among Kenyans as envisioned by their parties.
“This is why we are united. Raila is interested in changing the Constitution to create positions. Mudavadi has been Finance Minister and knows how to plan and restore the economy. We want to create a new economic model that resonates with the people at the bottom,” said Dr Ruto.
Dr Ruto said the handshake partners, President Kenyatta and Mr Odinga, owed the people of Western Kenya a political debt for their support. He said it was him and Mr Mudavadi, then working under the Pentagon in 2007, that propelled Mr Odinga to the Office of the Prime Minister.
“It was through my support that President Kenyatta won the elections in 2013 and twice in 2017. We helped Raila until he became Prime Minister. I helped Mr Kenyatta. They owe us a political debt,” the DP said.
The leaders asked Mr Kenyatta to stop managing his succession and instead allow the country to determine the next government.
Mr Mudavadi said the Luhya community is tired of helping Mr Odinga in every election. “We have carried the load and are tired. We have rejected Uhuru's plan. When will Raila support us?” posed the ANC leader.
Mr Odinga will be making his fifth stab at the presidency after losing in 1997, 2007, 2013 and 2017. Mr Mudavadi urged President Kenyatta to learn from 2002 when Kenyans rejected him for being a state-sponsored project.
He wondered why Mr Kenyatta is yet to “sell” Mr Odinga to his Mt Kenya backyard since they got into a handshake deal in 2018.
Mr Mudavadi said he opted to work with Dr Ruto because they share “a common position and aim to resuscitate the country's ailing economy that has seen Kenyans sink into poverty due to uncontrolled borrowing by the State”.
“We intend to grow the economy through UDA's bottom-up model, marry it with ANC’s Pesa Mfukoni and sum it up with Ford Kenya's haki na amani. It should be victory in the first round,” he said.
He said it was disturbing that the media reported that Mr Odinga would follow in the footsteps of Mr Kenyatta, a pointer that should he win the election, he would plunge the country into deeper economic crisis through “uncontrolled borrowing”.
Mr Wetang'ula, while asking the Luhya community to emulate his move with Mr Mudavadi to work together, said they had supported Mr Odinga for many years.
“We will not allow Uhuru to succeed himself,” said Mr Wetang'ula.
Kakamega Senator Mr Cleophas Malala alleged that President Kenyatta is scheming to deputise Mr Odinga.
The claim by the vocal senator and an ally of Mr Mudavadi follows media reports that Mr Kenyatta would be the one to choose Mr Odinga's running mate.
“Uhuru wants Raila to be president so that he becomes his deputy. Uhuru has two months and so he should start packing,” said Mr Malala at Mwichio ACK in Emuhaya.
“If it’s a must that Central Kenya has to give a deputy, then let it be given to someone else and not Uhuru Kenyatta.”
