• ODM's National governing council expelled Jumwa from the party on March 1 for associating with Ruto and pledging to campaign for him in the 2022 polls.
• Ruto took to Twitter to express his displeasure over Jumwa's expulsion
Image: DPPS
Deputy President William Ruto has waded once again in the issue of Malindi MP Aisha Jumwa's expulsion from ODM.
On Friday, Ruto took to Twitter to express his displeasure over Jumwa's expulsion that came as a result of the perceived closeness between him and the Malindi MP.
In a tweet understood to be aimed at Orange party leader Raila Odinga, the DP accused him of double speak and hypocrisy in the manner the party handled Jumwa's matter.
"You who've masqueraded as a champion of women, now in your true colours expel a woman elected in her own right after defeating men and blackmail her to kneel and worship you as an "apology." Crime? associating with elected DP of the GoK you have "handshake" with. Tragically deceitful," the tweet read.
ODM's National governing council expelled Jumwa from the party on March 1 for associating with Ruto and pledging to campaign for him in the 2022 polls.
You who've masqueraded as champions of women, now in your true colours expel a woman elected in her own right after defeating men and blackmail her to kneel and worship you as an 'apology'. Crime?associating with elected DP of GoK you have 'handshake' with. Tragically deceitful
— William Samoei Ruto, PhD (@WilliamsRuto) March 15, 2019
Her Msambweni counterpart Suleiman Dori, with whom they were jointly accused, was spared the axe after apologising to the party.
Raila on Wednesday softened the stance of the party, saying that Jumwa could be accepted back in the party if she apologised, an offer that the Malindi legislator rejected.
The DP's tweet is likely to harden the stance of Jumwa who had only obtained a stay order against the top party decision.
The tweet chiding the ODM leader adds to the protracted political battle between the two leaders, whose war of words have erupted in the past few weeks.
The slur started with the exposure of the corruption scandals surrounding the construction of Arror and Kimwarer dams in Elgeyo Marakwet county, in which the DPP and the DCI say up to Sh21 billion was looted.
But Ruto and his lieutenants were swift to defend the projects, saying the corruption allegations were "fictitious, fake news, lies, and exaggeration."
The DP is on record saying only Sh7 billion was the amount in question and as a government, they would account for every shilling.
Raila shot back insisting that Ruto should "keep quiet and let the investigating agencies do their work without politicising the matter."
"Sh7b is not pocket change! Sio pesa ya kununua mandazi," Raila said.
The former PM also alleged that the DP's donation of a Sh4 million car to Kisumu Catholic Bishop Philip Anyolo was rejected on an order by Pope Francis on the grounds that the money was tainted.
The accusation led to Ruto hitting back branding Raila as "the lord of poverty, master of deceit and a conman."