• Ruto had on Tuesday dared the “system” to bring it on, saying, he has God and the majority of Kenyans to back what he said was an unstoppable 2022 presidential campaign.
•Kenya’s second-in-command likened the roadblocks on his 2022 presidential bid to similar efforts to block him and President Kenyatta’s candidature in 2013.
ODM leader Raila Odinga has dismissed claims by DP William Ruto that there exists a ‘deep State’ that is seeking to block his ascension to the presidency.
“As you know, where I am I hold no position in the government of the Republic of Kenya. Kenya is led by the President whose name you know and his deputy whose name you also know. So if you are talking about the deep State, who is there? It’s the president and his deputy,” Raila said.
Speaking during a press briefing on Thursday, Raila said the opposition holds no position in the government.
"Go and ask the Deputy President which deep State he is talking about… we are not in government as ODM. So we don’t know about this deep State,” he said.
But he noted that as a party they know where they want to go and have learnt from past experience.
Ruto had on Tuesday dared the “system” to bring it on, saying, he has God and the majority of Kenyans to back what he said was an unstoppable 2022 presidential campaign.
Kenya’s second-in-command likened the roadblocks on his 2022 presidential bid to similar efforts to block him and President Kenyatta’s candidature in 2013.
“I just want to tell them: We’re waiting for you. This system, this deep State we are being told about, we are waiting for it,” Ruto said at his Karen home.
But later, Interior Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho rubbished Ruto's claim that there exists a 'deep state' in Kenya seeking to block his ascension to power.
"It is a term used by people loosely to mean probably bad things. When you are told deep state, you don't think those are preachers and pastors. This definition is outrageous as it can get."
Kibicho said there is no 'deep state', adding that the government is structured in a manner that everyone can see.
Last week, Raila's elder brother Oburu Odinga implied that they were finally assured of winning the 2022 election since the system was now on their side.
“Why have we not gone to State House when we have won the presidency before? It’s because there is something we have been missing. That thing is called system. And now we are with Uhuru Kenyatta who is holding the system,” Oburu said.
But the AU envoy maintained that those were Oburu Odinga’s personal sentiments.