Deputy President William Ruto is his own worst enemy and should blame himself if he fails to become president in 2022, a section of ODM MPs have said.
The MPs were responding to Ruto's remarks that ODM leader Raila Odinga's truce with President Uhuru Kenyatta was to ruin his 2022 Presidential ambitions.
The DP, during a service at Cheptarit Catholic Church in Mosoriot, Nandi county on Sunday, in reference to the handshake, accused Raila of entering into a deal with Uhuru with an ill-motive.
But ODM MPs said in a statement on Monday that Ruto is "looking for enemies in the wrong places in his quest to be President"
"Ruto is the enemy he is looking for. What stands between him and the Presidency is not His Excellency Raila Amolo Odinga. It is Ruto’s character, his bad record in office and the perceptions about him by the general public," the MPs said.
They are Gladys Wanga (Homa Bay), Anthony Oluoch (Mathare), Florence Mutua (Busia), and Zulekha Hassan (Kwale).
Others are
Koitamet Ole Kina
and nominated MP Geoffrey Osotsi.
On Sunday, Ruto said Raila's handshake with President Kenyatta was for selfish gains and not for the interest of Kenyans as he claims.
He labelled the Opposition leader as an enemy of democracy who never accepts defeat and was now using the handshake to change the constitution for personal gains.
This was after Raila, in his address to Kenyans living in the UK on Friday last week, maintained that he won the 2017 August polls.
He said the 2002 general elections were the only credible polls in Kenya's history.
In response, Ruto said: "There is no need to go around the world spreading propaganda and lies that Jubilee did not win the elections."
"We won the elections early and in broad daylight. Kenyans decided."
In apparent reference to Raila, the DP said the biggest threat to Kenya's progress, stability and democracy were "people with questionable democratic credentials and dictators who participate in elections yet they cannot accept the outcome of any election".
In their response, the ODM MPs said Ruto is a bitter man looking for revenge.
"Kenyans must take note that even retired President Daniel arap Moi who created Ruto is today running away from him. Ruto has to deal with that," they said.
This was in reference to Ruto's flopped bid to meet with Moi at his Kabarak home in Nakuru on May 4.
They said the kind of politics being played by the DP and his cronies is meant to hold the country hostage.
They averred that hostage holding, and not Raila, is what stands in Ruto’s way in his bid to be president.
The MPs labelled the DP as a hypocrite who criticised the 2010 Constitution and is now opposed to its repeal.
"He vehemently opposed the 2010 Constitution on grounds that it had loopholes. Now, when we call for the fixing of the loopholes, he retorts that the Constitution must not be changed. That hypocrisy is standing between him and the Presidency."
The MPs said the country cannot be held back by the ambitions of one man.
They said the Constitution must be changed to perfect the systems of governance and to strengthen devolution "so that all Kenyans can benefit from its fruits regardless of who is President".
"Kenyans are aware of these facts. They fear Ruto and their fear, not Raila Odinga or the handshake, is standing in his way to the Presidency," they said.
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