Deputy President William Ruto yesterday reacted to the Azimio la Umoja meeting in Nairobi, saying it is not the work of President Uhuru Kenyatta to unite opposition political parties.
Dr Ruto also criticised Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) chief Raila Odinga, accusing him of dragging Mr Kenyatta into party politics “so that the President can help him win the election in August”.
The President attended the ODM National Delegates Conference (NDC) yesterday after leading his Jubilee party in its summit, where he announced his “unwavering” support for the Azimio La Umoja Movement and Mr Odinga.
Dr Ruto said President Kenyatta should not be campaigning for the opposition.
“Do not force Uhuru to do the work of organising your parties. He has been the President of Kenya for 10 years and you should stop bothering him,” the DP said in Nyeri.
“Allow the President to plan his retirement in peace and the kind of legacy he will leave. Raila should stop staging a contest between President Kenyatta and me. Kenyans know the difference between Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila Odinga. I am not competing with the President.”
The DP said it is strange for the President to settle on Mr Odinga to carry on with his legacy “yet he was not there when we formed the Jubilee government two times”.
Dr Ruto added that he supported President Kenyatta to form the government in 2013 and 2017 and that the ODM leader had never voted for him or Jubilee.
“We planned to build roads, connect more people to electricity and improve health services all under the Big Four Agenda,” he said.
The DP added that all was well until the March 9, 2018 handshake between President Kenyatta and Mr Odinga.
Party politics
“He was not there when we started. We cannot agree to be taken back to the politics of division. We will remain together. Even with Uhuru retiring in August. We will ensure the projects started by the Jubilee government are completed,” the DP told the crowd.
“Hata mkituita wakora, sisi ndio tulimfanya Uhuru rais. (Even if you call us conmen, we are the ones who made Uhuru president). We are the ones who voted for him. We get the credit for all the work done.”
During the event, Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga formally joined the United Democratic Alliance, a party associated with the DP.
Kenya Kwanza Alliance leaders Musalia Mudavadi of Amani National Congress (ANC) and Ford Kenya’s Moses Wetang’ula said President Kenyatta is “belittling” himself and his office by getting involved in party politics.
They added that the President should wait for August 9 “to retire honourably”.
Mr Mudavadi and the Bungoma senator said the President is a symbol of national unity and should stay focused on completing his term.
The ANC leader added that it is embarrassing for President Kenyatta to “shuttle” around attending party NDCs seeking to unite the opposition to face Dr Ruto in the August contest.
“It is the duty of the President to unite the country but he called us wakora today. I am confused,” Mr Mudavadi said.
“I have a question for the President. I want to know who will be on the ballot in August. Will it be President Kenyatta or Mr Odinga?”
The leaders asked President Kenyatta to “gracefully retire”, urging him to control his anger and focus on leaving a good legacy.
“I respect retired President Mwai Kibaki because he served his two terms and exited gracefully. He voted for his preferred candidate in March 2013 and went home,” Mr Mudavadi said.
Uhuru’s remarks
“Why is Uhuru so concerned with who takes over the presidency? What is he trying to hide? Let him take a page from President Kibaki’s book.”
The leaders at the meeting criticised Jubilee for claiming to have kicked them out of the party, adding that they left long time ago “when we discovered that it was dead”.
“They think they are chasing us from that party. Jubilee is dead. We left with our people and it is the people who have the votes,” Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro told the meeting.
Others who accompanied the DP were Senators Kithure Kindiki (Tharaka Nithi), Mithika Lithuri (Meru), Irungu Kang’ata (Murang’a), Kipchumba Murkomen (Elgeyo Marakwet) and governors Muthomi Njuki (Tharaka Nithi), Anne Waiguru (Kirinyaga), Josphat Nanok (Turkana) and Mr Kahiga.
The meeting was also attended by MPs Rigathi Gachagua (Mathira), Alice Wahome of Kandara, Jayne Kihara (Naivasha), Kimani Ichung’wa (Kikuyu), Mohamed Ali (Nyali) and several others.
The leaders demanded that President Kenyatta apologises to the Church for his remarks during the Sagana Three meeting last week.
They asked their rivals in Azimio La Umoja to refrain from insulting religious leaders, adding that Kenya is a “pious” country.
“The Church is holy. Whether you like it or not, you have to respect it and its leadership. Let us compete based on agenda and leave the Church alone,” Dr Ruto said.
His sentiments were echoed by Mr Gachagua.
“President Kenyatta insulted the Church and its leadership at Sagana State Lodge. You can arrest us, insult us and look down on us but you have to refrain from attacking the Church. When he (Ruto) comes to power, we will start by sanctifying the Church,” the Mathira lawmaker said. BY DAILY NATION