"No to Raila", Ruto allies from Mt Kenya region declare

Mt Kenya leaders allied to Deputy President William Ruto on Wednesday voiced their support for his presidential bid.

The leaders said even if ODM party leader Raila Odinga had President Uhuru Kenyatta's support they will neither be intimidated nor coerced into changing their political choice.

The leaders who spoke in Tharaka Nithi County include MPs Mithika Linturi, Kithure Kindiki, Irungu Kang’ata, Patrick Munene, Kareke Mbiuki, Ndindi Nyoro, Beatrice Nkatha, George Murugara and Rigathi Gachagua. Malindi MP Aisha Jumwa was also present.

Kindiki claimed President Kenyatta had lied to and betrayed the people of Mt Kenya.

“We failed to remain on the path that was meant to uplift millions of Kenyans,” he said.

The Tharaka Nithi Senator said that the Jubilee Government that had promised to make friendly the country’s investment environment had failed.

“Instead, what we are seeing today are punitive measures that are killing enterprises. This must be stopped by voting in a progressive leader,” he explained.

Murugara said it was only the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) that is associated with Ruto that will transform Kenya.

“If you are not with UDA, then you are part of our country’s problems,” he noted.

Meanwhile, the Deputy President who is on a week-long development tour of Mt Kenya Region asked Kenyans not to accept being divided into small regional political parties.

“It is these regional outfits that breed ethnicity and division in our country,” he said.

The Deputy President asked the Mt Kenya region to rally behind UDA whose progressive agenda is anchored on the Bottom-Up Economic Model.

Edited by D Tarus