DP Ruto allies respond to Tuju’s hard-hitting statement

Two senators allied to United Democratic Alliance (UDA) have dismissed today's remarks by Jubilee secretary-general Raphael Tuju against Deputy President William Ruto.

They say the sentiments were driven by anger, jealousy and political propaganda.

Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen claimed the Kieleweke wing of Jubilee was jealous of DP Ruto following his rising political popularity in the country.

Murkomen said it was not worth to responding DP critics because they had realised there was very little they could do to change Kenyans' love for Ruto and had resorted to anger and pettiness. 

“There are five stages of grief namely denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Tuju and company are in the anger stage. They will get better when they reach the final stage of acceptance,” he tweeted after Tuju’s scathing statement.

Nominated Senator Millicent Omanga described Tuju’s statement as a deliberate campaign of propaganda, disrespect, and character assassination chiselled (sic) against the DP to torpedo his presidential bid.

She said that attempts to stop the DP’s State House bid had failed hence the rising level of bitterness among those behind the machinations.

Tuju earlier accused Ruto of holding President Uhuru Kenyatta hostage’ during their first term in office between 2013 and 2017.

Addressing the media today at Jubilee Party headquarters in Nairobi, Tuju warned the second in command not to ‘cross the line’ by sending his allies to attack the first family on social media.

“Why attack the First President of the Republic of Kenya who is not here to defend himself?” posed Tuju.

“As a Party, we are sending the DP a public message that we will not countenance his venturing into crossing this line. He must call all his goons to order.”

DP Ruto’s source of wealth

Tuju also questioned Ruto’s source of wealth, saying it was not clear how the DP, who told Kenyans he was worth Sh100 million in 2015, acquired assets like choppers, hotels and land worth billions of shillings.

He wondered how Ruto "would study for his PhD, run a multibillion-shilling empire and carry the heavy burden of working as number two in command, being involved in presidential campaigns, and on his Sundays still sparing time to do many harambees from 'his hard-earned sweat money."

While responding to Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i’s statement last week, Ruto said he reared 200,000 chickens which earned him Sh1.5 million daily from the sale of eggs.

The second in command also said he had 400,000 shares at Safaricom, East Africa’s most profitable company, and a further 8000 shares at Kenya Airways, the national airline.

Tuju’s statement comes a day after DP Ruto’s tour in the Mt Kenya region attracting huge crowds.

Ruto, who has trained his sights on succeeding President Kenyatta in 2022 with or without support from him, is banking on the support of Central Kenya to buttress his presidential bid ahead of 2022.