•The DP has camped in Western in what is seen as a scheme to force Musalia and Ford Kenya leader Moses Wetang'ula into his camp.
•DP Ruto tour comes days after Lugari MP Ayub Savula and nominated MP Godfrey Osotsi said they would engineer talks between Musalia and Raila so that they work together.
Image: MARTIN OMBIMA
Deputy President William Ruto has said he will win the August general election and serve two terms.
Ruto told Cotu secretary general Francis Atwoli that he should prepare for his presidency.
“I will defeat my opponents and they will find another excuse and in 2027, I will win again,” he said.
DP Ruto spoke during his campaigns in Vihiga on Thursday.
He urged ANC boss Musalia Mudavadi to seal a deal with him.
“The odds are in my favour as my detractors, including Cotu boss, are slowly giving in to the force of my candidacy,” Ruto said.
“I am the DP and I sit in the so-called deep state. What other deep state are people talking about?”
Atwoli has dismissed Ruto’s presidential bid saying he will not defeat Raila in the general election.
The DP asked Musalia to accept his offer to join forces ahead of the election because the hustler nation will form the next government.
Ruto, who has won the support of some of the region’s politicians including Foreign Affairs CAS Ababu Namwamba, said he is ready for negotiations with Musalia.
“Do you want Mudavadi and Wetang'ula to work with the other side or the hustler?” he asked.
“Please, tell Mudavadi I want to work with him, so we should sit down and plan properly.”
The DP spoke hours after the ANC boss denied that he was in talks with Ruto.
“I have been in the media lately, for what I have not said. I cannot shy away from saying it,” Mudavadi said on Wednesday.
The DP has camped in Western in what is seen as a scheme to force Musalia and Ford Kenya leader Moses Wetang'ula into his camp.
DP Ruto tour comes days after Lugari MP Ayub Savula and Nominated MP Godfrey Osotsi said they will engineer talks between Musalia and Raila so that they work together.
Ruto who was also popularising his bottom-up economic model addressed some political meetings in Vihiga.
On Wednesday, Ruto pitched camp in Busia where he attended a series of political campaigns.
He toured Bungoma and he is expected to pitch camp in Kakamega to neutralise Raila’s influence.
Ruto was accompanied by some Vihiga MCAs Jacky Mwenesi (nominated), Douglas Beru (Shamakhokho) and Vincent Atsiaya (Wodanga).
However, Rashid Echesa, Ben Wasiali, Bonny Khalwale, Charles Gimose, Nelson Havi, among other key allies were not present.
Edited by Kiilu Damaris