• On Tuesday, DP Ruto said that President Uhuru said he was ready to go home in 2022.
• He blamed those he referred to as “brokers and con men” for pressuring him to extend his term.
Image: FILE
Deputy President William Ruto should stop pretending to speak on behalf of President Uhuru Kenyatta, Cotu boss Francis Atwoli has said.
Atwoli said it was hypocritical for Ruto to claim that “brokers and conmen” were the ones pushing Uhuru to extend his term.
“We’re going to unmask the DP soon because one cannot disrespect his boss and even fight him through proxies while pretending to speak for him,” he said.
The unionist spoke to the Star on the phone from Cairo, Egypt.
“It is Ruto who parades conmen everywhere he goes in the name of Tangatanga,” he said.
The vocal Cotu boss said the Kieleweke faction of Jubilee party is pushing for meaningful law reforms and has no conman.
“Who grabbed public land? Who imported maize and crippled Rift Valley farmers? Who has been implicated in dam scandal and many others? Let him name one conman in the BBI team,” Atwoli said.
Atwoli was the first person to say that President Kenyatta was too young to retire in 2022.
On New Year’s eve, ex-Jubilee vice chairman David Murathe said Uhuru would remain in power but in a different capacity, opening a new feud with the Ruto brigade.
Murathe also said Uhuru would not relinquish his position as Jubilee party leader despite planned party polls.
On Tuesday, DP Ruto said that President Uhuru said he was ready to go home in 2022.
He blamed those he referred to as “brokers and con men” for pressuring him to extend his term.
“For the avoidance of doubt, our party leader Uhuru Kenyatta, the Jubilee Party membership and the entire fraternity of Jubilee has no scheme or plan to change the Constitution so that we can take Kenya to the dark days where leadership stuck in a corner,” the DP said.
But yesterday, Atwoli said that Kenyans were entitled to their opinions and should not be intimidated by people out to grab power for personal aggrandisement.
He said that the resistance against law reforms manifested corruption fighting back because they knew their road to riches would come to an end.
Meanwhile, Atwoli asked Luhya MPs allied to the DP to remain in their homes if they are uncomfortable with the BBI meeting planned for Kakamega on January 18.
Atwoli said he was best suited to coordinate the BBI activities because he was not affiliated to any political formation.
He was reacting to comments by Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa and his Sirisia counterpart John Waluke on Monday. The duo said Atwoli lacks the authority to call a meeting for the Luhya community.
"Atwoli is an outcast who pretends to be a life member of Kanu when he is just but working for Raila. As far as we are concerned, we don't regard Atwoli as a serious man, and he cannot purport to plan a meeting to discuss Luhya unity let alone BBI," Barasa told the Star.