President Uhuru Kenyatta, DP William Ruto and ODM's Raila Odinga’s allies were on Wednesday embroiled in a battle of wits on who should take credit for Jubilee achievements.
The opposing sides clashed during the debate on the President’s Tuesday speech in Parliament, as each attempted to lay claim to the milestones President Kenyatta elaborated.
Although complaining the speech was too long, both sides – whose political rivalry continues to grow ahead of 2022 - were in agreement the President has achieved his legacy.
The competition was whether President Kenyatta achieved more in his first term, when he worked with DP William Ruto, or in the second term – in which he has largely worked with Raila.
“There are things we cannot take away from the President in terms of his gains, in terms of infrastructural development that he’s been able to do,” Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichung'wa, a former ally turned fierce Uhuru critic, said.
Ichung’wa, who is among the top leaders in DP Ruto’s inner circle, argued that the developments the President boasted of were executed during the first term of President Kenyatta’s reign.
“I cannot fail to mention that many of the things the President enumerated yesterday were things he was able to do in his first term 2013-17. Post 2018 is a story for another day courtesy of what has been christened the handshake,” the MP said.
However, there were concerns the president failed to speak on key issues in his address notably corruption, soaring public debt and the ravaging drought.
“He did not speak of corruption. How I wish he spoke on it as well as public debt. The President said how he has doubled GDP but should have reminded Kenyans debt has multiplied five times.
"The drought situation and per capita analysis - how the economy is impacting an individual, was not explained,” Kitui Central MP Makali Mulu said.
But in a strange turn of events, some tangatanga adherents dropped their guns against President Kenyatta to hand him an A score on his legacy.
“The President has scored an A when it comes to his legacy. There are many ongoing projects. There is tarmac in every part of this country. We have electricity in our manyattas, things we could only in see in homes of MPs,” Nominated MP David Sankok said.
“The legacy of President Uhuru Kenyatta will be said by the people of Kenya. It will be written by historians.” Garissa Township Aden Duale said, adding that the president should have touched corruption, debt, and extrajudicial killings.
Duale said the achievements of President Kenyatta are that of the DP as the two are together in the Jubilee administration.
“They are together. We will use it for the campaign of 2022. You cannot deny us. We are one. What is good for Uhuru is good for Ruto. If you are from the handshake, you better look for your track record,” the former Majority leader said.
Rangwe MP Lillian Gogo said the sentiments that tangatanga would use the legacy for 2022 were misplaced and a mix up of issues.
Suba South lawmaker and Minority leader John Mbadi said the president did well in telling the nation that in the eight years, he has been able achieve more in Jubilee two.
“We are seeing a lot of misrepresentation of facts that from 2018, the attention of government shifted to BBI, which is a blatant lie,” he said.
Mbadi added, “The President was clear that for the first time we registered the highest economic growth, that is courtesy of the handshake, peace, calm political environment we have today. Where are these people getting their records?
"Those naysayers and prophets of doom with selfish interest to acquire raw power should not discredit what has brought peace to this country," the ODM national chairman added.
Kiminini MP Chris Wamalwa said he expected the President to speak of adherence to the rule of law in the face of defiance to court orders.
“A number of government officials and agencies are not obeying court orders. We expected the president to mention this. He let us down by failing to talk about corruption because the country is losing a lot of money owing to the loopholes,” he said.
North Imenti MP Raheem Dawood also dismissed the critics saying the roads, electricity and youth empowerment will live for years.
“The public debt is up but we must accept we have been pushing for development. Those things can only be done using money. We will support the President to the end,” the MP said.
Mwea MP Josphat Kabinga said the President had a choice of escalating the post-2017 election conflict but chose to work with Raila.
“By standing firm, we are able to talk of progress. We have turned challenges into opportunities. We thank God he stood by his choices and that's why we are where we are,” the MP said citing tea, coffee, and rice sector reforms.
(Edited by Bilha Makokha)
