2022 SUCCESSION POLITICS

Don't shoot aimlessly - Uhuru chides Ruto, dismisses his perceived lead

"Jubilee haijakufa, Jubilee ilienda kazi." Uhuru said.

In Summary

• The President indirectly attacked deputy president William Ruto and dismissed claims that he was best suited to succeed him.

• Uhuru said his deputy has been "shooting aimlessly" as he eyes the presidency warning that he might, in the end, lose it.

President Uhuru Kenyatta and DP William Ruto with their election certificates after IEBC declared them winners of the October 26 run-off election at Bomas of Kenya on October 30, 2017
President Uhuru Kenyatta and DP William Ruto with their election certificates after IEBC declared them winners of the October 26 run-off election at Bomas of Kenya on October 30, 2017
Image: FILE

President Uhuru Kenyatta's parliamentary group meeting on Friday was purely a political gathering.

The Head of Ste used the meeting to deliberate with his Jubilee party members on the state of affairs of their party and even talked about the 2022 succession politics.

In his address, the President indirectly attacked deputy president William Ruto and dismissed claims that he was best suited to succeed him.

In his apparent attack at the DP, Uhuru said his deputy has been "shooting aimlessly" as he eyes the presidency warning that he might, in the end, lose it.

"In a battle, you don't shoot aimlessly in the dark without knowing where the enemy is. There are people who have been busy shooting aimlessly and wasting their ammo. In the end, they will lose to another who has less ammo but is more strategic and right on target," he said as quoted by Kieni MP Kanini Kega.

According to Uhuru, the 2022 succession politics is akin to a marathon; one has to be careful with timings.

"This a marathon and in a marathon, one has to know which point to sprint," he said.

The analogy of the marathon can be traced back to his speech at the Bomas of Kenya in October 2020 during the launch of the BBI report.

Uhuru openly told his deputy to patiently wait to be handed the leadership baton.

He equated the DP's rush campaigns for thepresidency to a relay race where one of the participants of a team runs in the opposite direction instead of waiting patiently to be handed the stick to run forward and win the race.

"Hii ni ile race ya Ku handover, lakini my brother William anapinduka anakimbia kwenda nyuma," he said.

Loosely translates to: "This is a relay race where one is supposed to hand over to the next member of his team to complete the race. But my brother William here has turned and began running in the opposite direction".

The President promised to hit the ground running to drum up support for the Jubilee party candidates for various elective seats in the country.

He dismissed claims that the ruling party is a shell of its former self saying they were focused on delivering their manifesto to the people of Kenya.

"Jubilee haijakufa, Jubilee ilienda kazi. We have been working and we have a track record to show for it," he said.

 

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