• Muriithi insisted that Ruto continues to play politics of deception and lies.
• He challenged the DP to publicly take a stand on the issue of of increasing allocation to counties.
Laikipia Governor Ndiritu Muriithi has said that Deputy President William Ruto cannot be trusted on matters devolution.
In a statement on Tuesday, Muriithi insisted that Ruto continues to play politics of deception and lies.
He accused the second in command of working to frustrate devolution as chairperson of the Intergovernmental Budget and Economic Council.
"Devolution is too important to be discussed through politics of deception, lies, omission, distortion, propaganda and misdirection. As I have said before, devolution is on the ballot in the August 2022 election," he said.
Muriithi, who also chairs the Raila Odinga Presidential Campaign Board, challenged the DP to publicly take a stand on the issue of increasing allocation to counties.
He accused Ruto of rejecting pleas by county chiefs during the last IBEC meeting in November last year to have counties allocated 35 per cent of national revenue.
"I am therefore appalled, indeed horrified by media reports that Ruto is now promising to increase allocation to counties to 35 per cent of the national revenue," Muriithi said.
"He opposed it in the BBI. He also opposed the 2010 Constitution that gave birth to devolution."
The governor said it's time Kenyans start treating the Deputy President's promises as politics of lies and distortion, adding that the amount of money allocated to each level of government is too important to be taken over by politics of deceit and roadside declarations.
"Kenyans must continue seeing Ruto as an enemy of Devolution and a strong believer in a centralized political system that will force communities to lead delegations to his home to pledge loyalty in return for handouts."
The governor’s statement comes after Ruto said that MPs allied to him had resolved to amend the Budget Policy Statement to increase revenue allocation to the counties to 35 per cent.
“We see this as a practical measure to increase resources to finance service delivery at the bottom of our socio-economic pyramid,” Ruto said in a statement after a PG meeting on Monday.