Raila financed by cartels, Ruto says as Azimio heads to Kamukunji

President William Ruto has sensationally claimed that cartels are bankrolling Raila Odinga’s protests against his government as the Azimio brigade heads to Kamukunji for a rally on Monday.

Ruto alleged the cartels that have held hostage the coffee, tea and milk sectors which his administration is cracking down on, are funding the opposition to frustrate reforms in the sectors.

“We said that all those cartels and brokers are in the tea, coffee and milk sectors. Now, they are the ones financing these protests because we have said we will chase away the cartels,” he said.

The President spoke ahead of Azimio’s anti-government rally dubbed the People’s Baraza at the Kamukunji Grounds in Nairobi.

Raila, who jets back from South Africa on Monday, called the rally in the wake of damning revelations by a whistleblower alleging that the IEBC rigged the August 9, presidential election in favour of Ruto.

Raila has been out of the country for slightly over a week having left the country on January 13.

The whistleblower claimed garnered 8,170,355 votes or 57.53 per cent of votes cast against Ruto’s 5,915,973 votes (41.66 per cent of votes cast).

“Odinga appeals to Kenyans to show up in large numbers at the Kamukunji Baraza in the interest of the country,” Raila said through his spokesman Dennis Onyango.

Raila is expected to further spill the beans on the alleged rigging and disclose the opposition’s next course of action.

“In a few days, our coalition leader who is abroad will be arriving into the country and we will give Kenyans a way forward,” Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka said last week.

“At that time, we will collectively issue a public statement together with the data and the direction the country should take following these revelations."

Monday’s meeting will be the second anti-government rally Raila will hold since he lost to Ruto in the elections. The first one was held on the same ground last month.

But speaking during a thanksgiving interdenominational service at Kerugoya stadium in Kirinyaga on Sunday, the President said the Azimio is serving the interests of cartels.

“We are promising them, they can finance whatever they want to finance but our farmers can no longer be the slaves of brokers and cartels which have taken hostage our markets,” the President said.

Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, on the instructions of his boss, has embarked on reforming tea, coffee and milk sectors and getting them rid of cartels.

Ruto said he will protect the DP against the dangerous billionaire cartels who have over the years bribed and intimidated government officials.

“This work would have been done by the minister (for Agriculture), but you know these people are very powerful,” the President said.

The President further claimed the same cartels are using the opposition to pile pressure on him and his government to import foodstuff from a particular country.

The government has planned to import at least 10 million tons of assorted foodstuff to bridge the projected deficit.

“They have planned to push us to import foodstuff from abroad. There must be a balance because the people who will help us have enough food in Kenya, are not farmers from the other world, they are our own farmers here in Kenya,” he said.

The President dared Raila to lead the demos, saying it's the same old tactics – blackmail and intimation to box him into a negotiation corner for personal interests.

He told off the opposition, insisting that he will not succumb to threats to discuss the interests of 'few people’ at the expense of millions of Kenyans.

“I cannot allow a few people sit in a corner to plan how to threaten us, that they planning a protest against us. That we stop responding to the needs of Kenyans and attend to their interests,” he held.

“We cannot be working for five, six or 10 people every year because they want to plan protests. Protest the way you want but Kenya will move forward.

“This country will never be a hostage to blackmail of a few people chasing personal selfish interest at the expense of millions of people in the republic of Kenya.”

Rigathi also claimed that cartels are financing Raila and sought President’s protection in his effort to clean the agriculture sector.

The DP further alleged that Raila plans to use the same old narrative to get his foot in government.

“What you are doing, we are watching you from a distance. What you are doing is what you have done all the years,” he said.

He cited 1997 when Raila teamed up with former President Daniel Moi after losing the election, 2007 when he formed the grand coalition government with ex-president Mwai Kibaki and 2017 when he shook hands with retired President Uhuru Kenyatta.

The President was accompanied to the service by host Governor Anne Waiguru, Governors Cecil Mbarire (Embu), Muthomi Njuki (Tharaka Nithi) and Kawira Mwangaza (Meru).

Senators; James Murango (Kirinyaga), Alexander Mundigi (Embu) and Karen Nyamu (nominated) also attended the service.

Several MPs and MCAs were also in attendance.

Governor Waiguru said the planned opposition is a plot to destruct the President and she urged him to ignore them.

Governor Mbarire claimed a meeting of the wealthy people was held in Mombasa where the financing deal was agreed upon.

“There was a meeting in Mombasa of so many leaders. They know themselves. They are the ones financing this old man. I want to tell them to stop or I name them,” Mbarire said.

Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro said Ruto will not allow Raila to ‘extract personal benefit’ through blackmail.

“You cannot intimidate our President William Ruto. This is a njamba (warrior), you cannot coerce anyone and you cannot extract any personal benefit by threatening protests,” he said.