Deputy President William Ruto has said he will not resign from government , but will instead “make peace with the President” after the planned constitutional change referendum is concluded later this year.
The DP, in yet another response to President Uhuru Kenyatta’s call for him to either resign or stop criticising the government, yesterday said he will join hands with his boss to help him deliver on the Jubilee administration’s Big Four agenda after the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) referendum.
“I will, after the June referendum, join the President to work together on implementing the Big Four agenda and other developments that have been overshadowed by the BBI debate,” said the DP while addressing a political rally in Nyandarua.
A visibly angry President said it was dishonest for his deputy to take credit for successes of the Jubilee government but pass blame where things had gone wrong.
A day later, DP Ruto declared he would not resign, and instead demanded an end to the opposition leader Raila Odinga’s rapprochement with the President, which he blames for the divisions in the ruling party. The DP’s allies have dared their political rivals to carry through with their threat to impeach him.
While speaking at Engineer, Nyandarua County, the DP said he is in the government to stay.
“I and the President are behind the Big Four Agenda, and I am best placed to implement it in the next government. The Big Four agenda is partially overshadowed by the BBI but will be back on track after the June referendum. Those coming from the back door do not know or understand how the Big Four agenda was formulated,” said the DP.
He said implementation of the government’s economic revival plan would put money into people's pockets.
DP Ruto recounted the number of development projects initiated and implemented by the Jubilee Party.
“No one can implement the Kenyan development agenda better than the President and I. I will take over from him when he retires and work to ensure his legacy is implemented through actualisation of the Big Four agenda,” said the DP.
More than 10 MPs from Mt Kenya region used the platform to hit out at the President, Nyandarua Governor Francis Kimemia, and Mr Odinga.
There was drama during the AIC Church fundraiser after Kinangop MP Kwenya Thuku, who decamped from the DP wing of Jubilee, spoke firmly in support of President Kenyatta and Governor Kimemia’s leadership in Nyandarua.
“Let's stop the rhetoric and tell people the truth. We have seen what the President has done, we have many complete and ongoing development projects in Nyandarua and other parts of Central Kenya,” said Mr Thuku.
Former Agriculture CS Mwangi Kiunjuri said the DP’s side will not participate in the BBI referendum, claiming the voting process will not be fair.
“We know they will be recruiting Yes agents and No agents will not be trained or fully facilitated to monitor the exercise. It's already rigged. We shall educate Kenyans on the evils in the BBI and stop the game in April to allow them to prepare for the referendum,” said Mr Kiunjuri.
He also castigated the President for demanding the resignation of the DP from government, claiming Mr Kenyatta felt overshadowed by the DP’s performance and popularity.
“The only job assigned to the DP was marketing the government’s development agenda, which he performed perfectly. The President feels threatened by the DP’s growing popularity,” said Mr Kiunjuri.
Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro said Mt Kenya leaders are preparing to install Dr Ruto as the Mt Kenya kingpin, adding that he does not need to go through the region’s power brokers to campaign and secure the votes.
“I have always been with the DP that is why I rejected the threats to withdraw my letter to the President since I had spoken the truth. They threatened to withdraw my security, official car and allowances if I did not disown or apologise about the letter but I refused because I knew where I belonged,” said Mr Kang’ata.
Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichung’wa said the Central Kenya region does not need BBI to economically empower them, adding that what they need is a conducive environment to market their farm produce.
Nyandarua Woman Rep Faith Gitau said the BBI document must be negotiated, adding that it is a creation of two people — the President and Mr Raila Odinga.
