•During the entire tour, the Kenya Kwanza team directed their attacks on former Prime Minister Raila Odinga while praising President Uhuru Kenyatta in his backyard.
“ You must bear the consequences for the derailment of Jubilee’s development agenda,” Ruto told Raila.
Image: DPPS
Deputy President Ruto, who has been lambasting his boss Uhuru Kenyatta for running the country down, on Wednesday showered him with praise.
The DP was on a campaign tour of the President's Murang'a backyard and a change of tack seemed in order.
Ruto outlined how the Jubilee government has built roads, increased electricity connections and built technical colleges across the country.
The DP showcased Jubilee's scorecard as he insisted the President had done well during his tenure before his handshake with ODM boss Raila Odinga.
Ruto said the government suffered a huge loss after Raila "confused my friend Uhuru with tibim and reggae", pledging to continue with Jubilee's agenda whenhe forms the next government.
The DP heaped scorn on Raila as man who "confused" the President and disrupted the Jubilee government programmes, namely the Big Four.
"....but we have agreed with the Kenya Kwanza team that we will start from where Uhuru will stop and revive the Kenya economy by investing Sh100 billion to empower our people,” Ruto said.
The DP claimed Raila changed Jubilee's priorities from the Big Four agenda to alternative ones "like reggae and tibim".
"...we don’t worship those things, the Kenya Kwanza team will liberate Kenyans," he said.
Together with his Kenyan Kwanza-allied politicians, Ruto said Raila cannot run away from the Jubilee failures and for rocking the government.
“You must bear the consequences for derailing Jubilee’s development agenda,” Ruto told Raila, saying the handshake distracted the President from what was good for Kenya.
Ironically, Ruto usually attacks Uhuru while on campaigns outside the President's Central Kenya backyard.
The DP, who fell out with his boss over the succession politics and early campaigning, has often branded Uhuru's government as a total failure, especially during the second term when he and Uhuru were virtual adversaries.
On Wednesday, Ruto sang a different tune when he toured his boss' turf saying the Jubilee government under Uhuru's leadership has achieved a lot.
"I have nothing ill against my boss, President Uhuru Kenyatta. We have built roads, drilled for water and connected more than 150,000 people from Murang’a county with electricity," Ruto said.
He was visiting the county of some of his staunchest allies, including Kiharu MP Ndind'i Nyoro and Kandara MP Alice Wahome.
Wahome is considered as a possible running mate for Ruto.
During the entire tour, the Kenya Kwanza team directed their anger at Raila saying the President shouldn’t be blamed at all for Jubilee's problems.
They said it is Raila who rocked the government through the introduction of the handshake.
Former Devolution CS Charles Keter, a key Ruto ally, said on Tuesday the handshake had nothing to do with the DP's falling out with Uhuru. He did not elaborate.
The DP and his team traversed parts of Murang’a South constituencies among them Maragua (Kenol town), Kandara and Gatanga.
Mathira MP Rigathi Gachagua asked the President to allow Kenyans to decide on their next head of state.
“Everyone knows Uhuru Kenyatta has achieved and we love him but this issue of trying to market Raila Odinga in Mt Kenya should be questioned,” Rigathi said.
ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi said that he was the brains behind the Nasa coalition but Raila betrayed him and his Nasa co-principals.
“He betrayed us and this is enough reason to showhe can’t be trusted to lead the country,” Musalia said.
Musalia said the President has achieved a lot during his tenure but should not allow Raila to destroy his legacy.
Former Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu said Uhuru should return the favour by campaigning for Ruto.
“We must ask Uhuru hard questions and urge him to work with Deputy President William Ruto as his preferred candidate in August,” Waititu said.
Wahome took issue with Murang’a Woman Representative Sabina Chege whom she accused of disrespecting Uhuru.
Wahome said that they didn’t steal Raila’s votes in 2017, as Sabina has alleged.
“My sister Sabina Chege should apologise to Uhuru Kenyatta for claiming that he rigged out Raila Odinga. Uhuru won the election fairly," she said.
Wahome maintained nothing has changed and the people from Mt Kenya will support the UDA party and Ruto as their preferred presidential candidate.
(Edited by V. Graham)