• The renewed war on graft has widened the cracks between the two political rivals, with Ruto claiming he is the target in the war
Image: DPPS
Deputy President William Ruto and his allies yesterday sustained scathing attacks on ODM leader Raila Odinga, accusing him of using propaganda and politics of corruption to rock the Jubilee party.
Ruto likened the former Prime Minister to a hyena in a sheep's wool, saying he is hiding behind his handshake with President Uhuru Kenyatta to wreak the party and scuttle the president's legacy programmes.
“All these people who are now all over TV did not support Uhuru and Jubilee. But now they are giving us lectures on how we should work, fight corruption and run the government,” he said at a church in Nairobi.
The DP challenged the opposition chief to put the opposition house in order before lecturing and the government on how to run the government.
He claimed that Raila has rocked the opposition and left it in shreds and was now using the same tricks to destroy Jubilee.
“I am seeing that man of riddles giving us lectures on how to fight corruption and run the government. So you have killed the opposition, why cant you go and put your house in order before you tell us how to run the government,” he said.
Ruto added that Raila and his team are venting anger on him over his 2022 presidential ambitions because they cannot attack the president, who is serving his second and final term in office.
“What I will not agree is to allow these people to use propaganda and politics of corruption to rock Jubilee, trash our record and destroy the legacy of Uhuru Kenyatta. That I will not agree,” he said.
The DP spoke at PCEA church in Mwiki, Karasani where he led a fund-raiser for the construction of the church. He contributed Sh2 million.
He was accompanied by Kiambu governor Ferdinand Waititui, seven MPs and several MCAs from Nairobi led acting county assembly speaker Mwaura Chege.
The MPs were Kimani Ichung'wa (Kikuyu), Aisha Jumwa (Malindi), Kimani Njunjiri (Bahati), Charles Njagua (Starehe), Jeremiah Kioni ( Ndaragwa), John Kiarie (Dagoretti South), Benjamin Mwangi (Embakasi Central) and Patrick Wainaina (Thika Town).
Ruto and Raila and their allies fighting been engrossed in fierce war of words since the latter shook hands with the President on March 9 year.
The renewed war on graft has widened the cracks between the two political rivals, with Ruto claiming he is the target in the war.
Waititu termed Raila a schemer, unreliable and untrustworthy person whose intention is to kill Jubilee party.
He said the former premier has a record of breaking parties and warned Jubilee members against embracing him.
“We the people know him, cannot trust him. If he tells you to sit, he wants you to stand and when he says go right, just know that in his mind, he wants you to go left,” he said.
The governor said that the opposition has no moral authority to lecture the government on corruption his past has too been riddled with corruption.
He also attacked nominated MP Maina Kamanda, who is leading the 'Kileweke team' that is opposed to the DP's presidential bid, terming him a known broker and opportunist who cannot unite people from Mt Kenya.
He said Uhuru wouldn't have been the President if it were not for Ruto and urged people from Mt Kenya to reciprocate. ODM renegade MP Aisha Jumwa (Malindi) attacked Raila for hijacking the war on graft and now using the media to fight the DP.
The MP, who has been ousted from the orange party for supporting the DP's bid, while invoking the Bible urged Ruto not to respond to 'fools' lest he become one. She was resolute that the President will support the DP in 2022.
Njungiri said that Raila has a history of breaking institutions and reiterated accepting him in Jubilee would reignite the tension between Kikuyus and Kalenjins living in Rift Valley.
“I have said before that I am not for the handshake. You can change everything else but you cannot change history. This man has killed IEBC, Judiciary and divided the people of Kenya,” he said.
Ichung'wa and Njagua criticised Kamanda for attacking the DP, saying he has reached menopause ands should therefore exist politics.
“Let's candidly ask, where is our big four agenda? We have left it and we are now in another script," Ichungwa said.