Deputy President William Ruto has refused to be drawn into a discussion on the quality of debate to be conducted in the proposal to amend the Constitution as he hit out at opposition leader Raila Odinga over the matter.
On Monday, Mr Ruto insisted that the ODM party leader was a ‘poor politician’ who is adept at blaming the Constitution for his failings.
In reference to Mr Odinga, the DP said incompetent leaders who never win elections use the Constitution as the bogeyman and noted that it was time to put citizens at the centre of the Constitutional reforms, if any.
“Sometimes lazy people who do not want to work hard to formulate meaningful development program and some people who lose election they use the constitution as the bogeyman,” said Mr Ruto during the official opening of the Annual Legislative Summit at Pride Inn Hotel in Mombasa.
Mr Ruto further noted that he would not be engaged in the discussion on the amendment of the Constitution if it would be on matters of the politicians.
“I do not want to discuss that now but even when we will discuss that subject it cannot be a discussion about the politician only, it has to be about the people, those who do not have jobs, those with no food, those who want a road and health centres, it must be about them,” he added.
The DP hit out at those spearheading the agenda and asked them to be honest and sincere in their push for the referendum.
“It should not be about the politicians. It should about the people. Once we get to that discussion, we shall have to focus on the 45 million people and not us as politicians,” said Mr Ruto.
He made his remarks after he rejected the challenge from Senate Minority leader James Orengo who had asked him to stop attacking the character of the proponents of Constitutional change and instead attack the proposals.
“I know Mr Orengo is luring me to discuss the issue of reforms to the Constitution but I will not. There will be no discussion on that today,” Mr Ruto said when he officially opened the meeting.
In his remarks, Mr Orengo welcomed debate on the constitutional reforms and asked leaders to sober up and deal with the issues and not characters of their opponents.
In reference to Mr Ruto, who on Sunday dismissed Mr Odinga as a dictator and who was pushing for amendments to the Constitution to allocate himself a job, Mr Orengo pleaded that those who are pushing for reforms should be heard.
“Let’s not attack the person but the issue. Let us look at issues and we should not overrule them by looking at the person. Look at the message. Don’t attack an idea before you hear it out because this is part of what the constitution provides for,” he said.
Mr Odinga’s lieutenants on Monday told the DP off for criticising the ‘building bridges’ initiative between their leader and President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Opposition MPs accused Mr Ruto of thriving in politics of lies, commotion, hate, and division.
Senate Majority Leader Kipchumba Murkomen said there was need for the country to engage in a manner that solution to the many challenges facing the country will be found.