- The attacks, he said, are happening even in situations where one would expect the President to elevate his patriotism and protect the image of his predecessor.
- The retired governor said the events that happened at Bomas of Kenya and the way former IEBC chairperson Wafula Chebukati declared the presidential results were suspect.
Image: FILE
Wycliffe Oparanya has warned that President William Ruto's public attacks on his predecessor Uhuru Kenyatta and other utterances could trigger divisions among Kenyans.
The ODM Deputy Party Leader regretted that President Ruto has "forgotten that the presidency is a symbol of national unity".
Oparanya regretted that there has been a persistent extension of hostilities directed at Uhuru and unhealthy reversals of key policy issues where the principle of collective responsibility would have been left to thrive.
"It is because of this action that I ask the president to allow his predecessor to enjoy his retirement in peace instead of directing his arsenal on him to portray him as a failed Head of State yet they run the government and made policies and other decisions together as his deputy," he said.
The attacks, he said, are happening even in situations where one would expect the President to elevate his patriotism and protect the image of his predecessor.
"All these indicators point to the fact we have an administration bent on practising bad divisive politics at the expense of all the promises made," he said.
"Persistent attacks on the former President are by all means diversionary tactics to distract Kenyans from demanding that the Kenya kwanza government implements its promises to citizens." Saying that Azimio supporters are yet to come to terms with the outcome of the bungled Elections, Oparaya said they have not even recovered from the way IEBC conducted the elections.
The retired governor said the events that happened at Bomas of Kenya and the way former IEBC chairperson Wafula Chebukati declared the presidential results were suspect.
"But the president is worsening the situation by making a grave allegation of alleged plans by then his competitors to abduct Chebukati and force announcement of the presidential results in favour of Azimio," Oparanya said in a statement.
"Surprisingly Mr Chebukati has gone public and confirmed the president’s allegations and gone ahead to ask the Head of State to form a tribunal to investigate the matter."
The ex-governor said he was reminding the president and Chebukati that "Kenyans are not fools and cannot buy the naked lies they were spreading".
"In fact, their actions are a scheme to justify their actions at Bomas of Kenya during the chaotic announcement of the presidential results," he said.
The governor questioned why Chebukati did not bother to record a statement with police if his life was in danger then.
He said the timing for making the allegation was wrong and not only threatened the fragile social fabric but also carries explosive danger as the country heads into what he described as another unknown but potentially bleak future.
"I, therefore, ask the president to desist from making a such divisive statement because they affect the healing process and urge his administration to quickly recognise the essence of reuniting a heavily divided country," Oparanya said.
Kenyans, he said, have witnessed a spirited fight by Ruto's administration to either kill or weaken State Institutions for their selfish gains.
"More worrying is the way courts and the office of the DPP have been influenced to drop graft cases involving key members of the Kenya Kwanza government. This signals signs of a bleak future," he warned.
A country where the rule of law is compromised by the government, a weak Legal system and the Office of the DPP that dance to the tune of the government and not exercising its core mandate of ensuring that Kenyans get justice, Oparanya stated.
The former governor observed that there is little talk about the bottom-up lifting of masses or greatly suppressed economy but unending attacks on the past administration.