Pressure mounts on Ruto to resign after UDA defection

Azimio-allied leaders have piled pressure on Deputy President William Ruto to quit office.

They argued his tenure has been brought into question after accepting nomination as the presidential candidate for the United Democratic Alliance.

The pro-handshake group fired at the DP castigating him for attacking President Uhuru Kenyatta and the Jubilee administration, yet enjoying benefits facilitated by the government.

The Star has established that Jubilee is exploring grounds under which they would challenge the DP’s continued stay in office.

Vice chairman David Murathe said on Tuesday that they are seeking a legal opinion on the fate of the DP after he was endorsed as UDA presidential flagbearer.

"With the DP it is a bit different and we are going to ask for advisory opinion [on his fate]," Murathe said.

Murathe argued that it was against the law for Ruto to continue serving in the position when he has defected from the party that sponsored him.

"When the DP first ran with Uhuru in 2013, he ran on TNA ticket. He was leader of URP but we had to issue him membership of TNA because that ticket had to have identity," he said.

Murathe said Jubilee will write to the speakers of the two Houses of Parliament to declare vacant seats of Jubilee MPs and senators who defected to UDA.

Their action, he said, violates the provisions of the Political Parties Act.

Yesterday, a team of Azimio-leaning legislators led by Jubilee secretary general Jeremiah Kioni argued that by participating in the UDA National Delegates Conference, Ruto and his allies are deemed to have resigned from the sponsoring party-Jubilee.

A member of Parliament joining another party is deemed to have resigned from the sponsoring party, they hold.

The team is thus mulling to petition the parties' registrar to remove the names of the defectors from the register of the Jubilee party.

"Equally, if such defection is considered to be in contravention of the constitution of a political party, the member may be expelled."

The lawmakers backing Raila Odinga’s August bid said the statements by the DP and his Kenya Kwanza allies alleging a plot to rig the election were a recipe for chaos.

They challenged the DP to tell Kenyans what caused his acrimonious fallout with Uhuru.

The MPs said at Parliament Buildings on Wednesday that it was common knowledge that Ruto has been on a campaign trail for the past four and a half years.

"If you are a leader and uncomfortable with how the office is being run, the first honourable thing he should have done is to quit," Kioni said in a statement read by Dagoretti South MP Simba Arati.

"He should stop shedding crocodile tears. We know the President asked him to stop campaigns and he refused," the lawmakers said in a joint statement.

"He should resign. You cannot be a member of two parties and hold a position. Our colleagues who have moved should relinquish the positions you are holding too," Kioni said.

"In the coming weeks, we will have letters to the speaker informing that they ceased to be Members of Parliament. This is for us to have decency in the political arena. It is untenable to have the DP leading people to insult the President," Kioni said.

Ruto, during the UDA National Delegates Conference, claimed he was frustrated in government, hence his decision to chart his own path.

The DP pledged to deal with institutions he believes are being used by the state to intimidate him and his followers.

But the Azimio-affiliated leaders said Kenyans should be wary of such sentiments, adding that it was unfortunate they were coming from the DP.

"We ask Kenyans to be on the lookout for such calibre of people. Ruto should know ICC matter never died. He is preparing the country for post-election violence," Yatta MP Charles Kilonzo said.

"They [UDA] are plotting an excuse for demonstrating and causing violence."

"If someone is promoting a class war, he is telling us he'd kick everyone out, including multinationals. Kenyans need to be on the lookout."

The MPs said the DP has been clear he is not happy with the boss because of the handshake hence shouldn't claim there are other elements of frustration under Uhuru. "What is wrong with the President unifying the country?" Arati asked.

 Kioni said it was regrettable that "Ruto has found it comfortable to go round the country insulting the President."

"He holds meetings in Karen which are anti-government. He recently used Sh107 million taxpayers' money for trips and still called the government a mongrel. While there, all he did was talk ill of the same. Ruto is out of order. Enough is enough."

On Jubilee projects, the MP said the DP should not claim he was never part of the government, having "attended Cabinet meetings and even chaired some."

"He is chair of IEBC. Collective responsibility requires that he should have resigned if dissatisfied. He has turned out as one of the best liars the country has produced. Lying for four years," Kioni said.

"We want to tell him that time is up. He should stop insulting people in Mt Kenya," Kioni said.

Kamukunji MP Yusuf Hassan said, "Now that you have moved and declared bid for President, why are you still in government? Why earn a salary and get other benefits yet still keep insulting the same government?"

"Don't you have ideals, humanity and respect? Why not quit like your predecessors? What kind of ideals will you have as a president? If you have left, just go in peace?" the MP asked.

Samburu Woman Rep Maison Leshoomo said it was unfortunate that some of the insults targeting the President and his family were uttered by women.

"As Kenyans, we are at a bad spot. We have seen a lot since 1992. I am asking backers of Ruto, more so women, how do you start insulting the family of the President?"

"Uhuru has women who can fight for him. Let them hunt for votes with respect. If in government, why worry? Resign if you cannot get what you want," she said.

The leaders demanded a probe against the leaders who made rigging claims, saying their admissions of the rigging plot against Raila should be investigated.