• He denied claims that the move is aimed at finishing the DP's politically saying that he is committed in the fight against the faceless individuals exploiting farmers.
• The President made the remarks during the interdenominational thanksgiving prayer service at Bomet Green Stadium.
Image: HANDOUT
President William Ruto has defended the move to task Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua with the mandate to crack the whip on cartels exploiting farmers.
He denied claims that the move is aimed at finishing the DP's politically saying that he is committed in the fight against the faceless individuals exploiting farmers.
The President made the remarks during the interdenominational thanksgiving prayer service at Bomet Green Stadium.
“Let me be clear, we were elected together with Gachagua and if he falls, both of us will fall,” Ruto said.
He urged Gachagua to pursue all the cartels who have been a hindrance to many Kenyans especially tea, coffee and dairy farmers without any fear from any quarter.
"I know the deputy president is upto to the task and eliminating these cartels so that Kenyans can feel the value of the produce,” he said.
On his part, Gachagua said he is ready to fight cartels who have completely paralysed the farmers and denied them profit from their sweat.
"The people being the exploitations of farmers are big people and have money and I'm wondering why their interests is to make sure the farmers get little money or no money at all. We will face them squarely and before the end of the year things will start moving in the right direction,” he said.
He pleaded with the head of state to allow him to executive this job without fear or favour and warned the cartels to leave the sector before he set his foot there.
"By mid-this year, we will have removed them from the sectors because they stole the money using their own banks," he said.
Gachagua said that the politics are over and it is time for every leader to start working and accomplish the pledges they made to Kenyans.
“We are now putting the country back on its feet and we are now heading in the right direction as a nation in terms of economy,” Gachagua said.
The DP said he has summoned the management of Kenya Tea Development Agency to know where the problem is and restore normalcy in the tea sector.
He warned the media to stop misleading Kenyans by reporting negatively on the new administration.
On delivering the pledges to Kenyans, Ruto challenged the elected leaders to stop engaging in unnecessary fights for positions and instead deliver to the Kenyans on the aspirations they made to them.
"Every leader has a debt to pay because Kenyans played their parts by electing them and it is now our opportunity to discharge the part of the contract by changing their lives,” Ruto said.
The head of state also noted that all the projects which stalled in the last government due to handshake will soon resume and urged Kenyans to be patient.
While thanking Kenyans for giving them a mandate to lead the country, the DP revealed dirty schemes used by their last administration by trying to block them from ascending to power.
He alleged that the power brokers wanted to bribe IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati with one billion shillings so that they can announce Raila Odinga as the next winner of the 2022 presidential race.
Other leaders in attendance at the prayer service are Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, National Assembly speaker Moses Wetangula, Senate Majority leader Aaron Cheruiyot, Bomet Governor Prof Hillary Barchok, his Kericho counterpart Eric Mutai and Labour Cabinet Secretary Florence Bore.
Others are Bomet senator Hillary Sigei, MPs Richard Kilel (Bomet Central), Victor Koech (Chepalungu), Richard Yegon )(Bomet East), Brighton Yegon (Konoin),Linet Chepkorir (Bomet women representative), Johana Ngeno (Emurua Dikirr), Agnes Pareiyo (Narok North), Rebecca Tonkei ( Narok women representative ) among other leaders.
Mudavadi said the Kenya Kwanza administration will fight impunity and corruption which is deep rooted in the country.
Wetangula urged Kenyans to support the new government so that they can realize the aspirations of many people.
He recounted how the previous administration mistreated them so that Ruto was denied the presidency.
“Our only hope during the election time was God and you as the electorates. The move made us win the elections and form the government,” Wetangula said.
Mutai called on the government to lift caveat imposed on the farms around Mau forest saying that the people who living there are suffered a lot.
Barchok called for value addiction for the produce that comes from Bomet county saying that it will make the goods better.
"We need to recognise what our people produce and add value to them so that their lives can be changed forever," Barchok said.