William Ruto’s allies read malice in Uhuru ‘ouster’ claims
From left: Elgeyo-Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen, Deputy President William Ruto’s Personal Assistant Farouk Kibet, Murang’a Senator Irungu Kang’ata, Soy MP Caleb Kositany and Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro on June 24, 2018.
Deputy President William Ruto’s camp has accused allies of Azimio la Umoja flagbearer Raila Odinga of malice over allegations that the second-in-command had planned to impeach President Kenyatta.
Suna East MP Junet Mohamed told the Nation in an explosive interview that Dr Ruto offered Mr Odinga half of all senior government positions if he helped him topple the President soon after the 2017 General Election.
“The President hosted a Jubilee parliamentary group meeting at State House after the polls. In that meeting, it became clear that the honeymoon with his deputy was over. Mr Kenyatta told his party’s rank and file that he would not share power with anyone. The remarks alarmed his deputy as it meant it would not be business as usual,” Mr Mohamed said.
Kericho Senator Aaron Cheruiyot, a close ally of the DP, termed Mr Mohamed’s revelations as baseless and aimed at tainting Dr Ruto’s image and wondered why he had contradicted his boss.
Topple government
“Who do we believe? Mr Odinga or Mr Mohamed? Mr Odinga said he was unaware of such plans. Mr Mohamed said there was a meeting. Let them first agree on the script,” said Mr Cheruiyot.
Kilifi North MP Owen Baya said Mr Mohamed’s comment was proof that Mr Odinga had planned to topple the government.
“If Mr Odinga denied and said it never happened, why would Mr Mohamed want to lie? We know he acts on Mr Odinga’s instructions,” he said. Mr Odinga on Tuesday denied the claims by Dr Ruto that he was the one who had plotted to impeach the President. Dr Ruto said that, by swearing himself in, Mr Odinga had threatened the constitutional order and should be blamed for attempting to overthrow a legitimately elected government.
“I am not a fool, a drunkard or a mad man to help put together a government and then go behind it and plan to remove it. As the deputy President, I know what I must do, and I will never, I have never, and it has never happened that I will do anything to bring down our government,” the DP said at a rally in Malindi town, Kilifi County.
Murang’a Senator Irungu Kang’ata described the revelations as baseless and biased.
Personal issues
“If the President had handed the government to his deputy to attend trials at The Hague and he was not short-changed, why would the DP plot his ouster?” he posed. Mathira MP Rigathi Gachagua said the matter between President Kenyatta and Dr Ruto had become “a cliché”.
“People are tired. The issue between the President and Dr Ruto is personal. He should not burden Kenyans with his personal issues, yet many people are facing economic challenges,” he said.
Turkana North MP Christopher Nakuleu said the Azimio la Umoja movement has resorted to desperate means after realising that Dr Ruto is way ahead of them in the succession race.
“It [impeachment] has never been considered or even imagined. The DP is the one who persuaded us to elect President Kenyatta. Why would he plan that? There is only one person who is a master of coup d'états in Kenya and that is Uhuru's latest project and every Kenyan is aware,” he said.
Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro added: “At no time has there ever been talks about impeaching the President. He has been holding on to anything that could gain him sympathy.”
But Nyeri Town MP Ngunjiri Wambugu said Dr Ruto’s camp should not describe the impeachment allegations as “propaganda”, adding that the plan would have been beneficial to them.
