Moses Kuria: Why I chose to support Ruto

Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria on Tuesday showered Deputy President William Ruto with praise and outlined the reasons why he chose to support the country’s second-in-command for president in the August 9 General Election.

Kuria said there is no leader in the country who can unite Kenyans than Ruto.

The Gatundu South legislator told the nearly 5,000 UDA delegates at the Kasarani Indoor Arena that the DP was good for the economy and what Kenya needed was to put an end to state capture.

The delegates formally endorsed Ruto for the presidency during the event which was attended by pro-Ruto leaders who included governors, senators, MPs and MCAs.

The MP said Ruto was also good for devolution as he revealed his plans for this year’s polls.

Kuria who is gunning for the Kiambu gubernatorial post, also said he had the intention of being the next Council of Governors chair.

“I believe Ruto will be able to allocate 35 per cent of the national revenue to counties without having to change the Constitution,” he said.

Kuria who hails from President Uhuru Kenyatta’s ancestral home of Gatundu, assured Ruto of Mt Kenya’s total support ahead of the polls.

President Kenyatta has already thrown his weight behind ODM leader Raila Odinga’s presidential candidature under the Azimio la Umoja coalition.

Kuria thanked Ruto for liberating the Mt Kenya people and said there will be no split of the votes from the mountain region.

The MP said one of the main reasons why he chose Ruto was that he was a good human being.

Kuria told the delegates that supporting a good human being was more important than supporting a good leader.

“The last time I supported a good human being was former President Mwai Kibaki,” Kuria told an elated packed Kasarani gymnasium.

His sentiments were echoed by other Mt Kenya leaders present who included Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru, The Service Party leader Mwangi Kiunjuri and former Kiambu Governor William Kabogo.

Waiguru said the Mt Kenya people will return the favour of Ruto’s support of Uhuru by also giving the DP his own 10 years as president.

“We refuse to go to people who have no agenda for Kenyans. We have refused to be traded wholesale. We say no…not at this time. We will stand with Ruto,” she said.