• Ruto said they should both look forward to another election and not the endless chatter about bygones.
• The President said given time, he would defeat Raila again in a free and fair poll.
Image: PCS
President William Ruto on Friday maintained that he won the August polls fair and square and told Azimio leader Raila Odinga to stop his talk about rigging.
Ruto said they should both look forward to another election and not the endless chatter about bygones.
The President said given time, he would defeat Raila again in a free and fair poll.
"But now that I am in power, let me be allowed to work with those elected to move the country forward. Elections are behind us, and as I promised earlier, I trashed him early and hard," Ruto said.
The President said the protests by Azimio were only causing more agony to traders and clawing back on gains made to grow wealth.
"If he (Raila) has a problem with me let us face each other, not harassing and vandalising people's property in the name of anti government demos," Ruto said.
The President was speaking at Gesusu in Kisii County during the a homecoming ceremony for Education CS Ezekiel Machogu.
He spoke as Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua talked tough saying there shall be no dialogue with someone bent on looting and vandalising property.
Ruto scoffed at Raila saying it is going to be more bumpy for Raila in the next poll with his kind of politics.
The President said the destructive protests are a sign of contempt the Opposition leader has for poor Kenyans.
"Stop the contempt, stop the arrogance for these ordinary people. Why are you frustrating hawkers, the touts, the mama mbogas who are out doing their businesses. If you have issues, face me or wait till 2027," the President said.
He said going forward, his sole task is to help improve the livelihoods of of the same ordinary people whose businesses Raila is destroying.
Gachagua described the Azimio leader as the father of destructive demonstrations.
"We will not do that, he will only be dealing with the police, not us, we shall not negotiate."
The DP said the only the discussion they are willing do hold with Raila is about his retirement from active politics.
"Otherwise, he should explain to us the looting they did in Treasury days to the poll and funds stashed in offshore accounts," he said.