Ruto rules out dialogue with the Opposition as Raila returns

Kenya: Jubilee leaders, among them Deputy President William Ruto, are opposed to dialogue with the Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD) and say their administration has not failed to warrant talks with the Opposition.

Ruto said in Narok yesterday that  the ruling coalition did not need CORD to run the government and dismissed calls for a national dialogue conference.

“We will not give in to demands from CORD politicians to enter into dialogue. The Government is determined to deliver on the promises it made to Kenyans before the last General Election,” said Ruto.

The Deputy President was responding to calls by CORD leaders  for a national dialogue conference on July 7 to discuss challenges facing the country.

The CORD leaders by ODM supremo Raila Odinga also called for the disbandment of the Isaack Hassan- led Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), allocation of more funds to counties and a cessation to arbitrary arrests of Muslims.

However, Ruto dismissed these calls and described them as empty rhetoric.

“This is the only Government in power and they can continue making noise as we serve Kenyans,” said Ruto.

Future elections

Voices of support came from Ruto’s   North Rift backyard.  Yesterday, Marakwet East MP Kangongo Bowen said President Uhuru Kenyatta and Ruto were capable of ruling the country without help.

“Over six million Kenyans voted for Uhuru and the Jubilee leadership, and that should be respected,” said Kangogo.

Uasin Gishu Deputy Governor Daniel Chemno backed Kangogo and said parliamentary and senate committees provided the inclusive input of all leaders.

“There is no need for dialogue with the CORD team at the moment,” said Chemno.

But speaking at Moi Naikara High School in Narok West where he opened a block of classrooms and donated a bus, Ruto predicted that the Jubilee Coalition would defeat the Opposition in future elections, adding that CORD lost the last general election in a free and fair exercise.

Earlier, five Jubilee Coalition MPs and a senator who accompanied Ruto said they were opposed to CORD’s  call for a national dialogue conference.

Led by Kajiado South MP Kato ole Metito, they  said CORD was pushing for dialogue to have  some of its members  appointed to the Cabinet and asked the Opposition to wait until the next general election when the electorate would decide if they want to give them the mandate to rule.

“The coalition is aware that there are four vacant positions in the Cabinet and want dialogue with the Government so that its members can be appointed to fill the positions,” said Metito.

Not above board

Emurua Dikir MP Johanna Ngeno said CORD’s intervention was not required as the Senate and Parliament  could address pressing national issues.

CORD’s calls to have the IEBC disbanded were also dismissed with Ainamoi MP Benjamin Langat saying the Opposition was not above board going by the Orange Democratic Movement’s internal elections which were marred by violence

Langat said issues such as insecurity bedeviling the Jubilee Government had their roots in the Grand Coalition Government of which Raila was Prime Minister.

The Jubilee MPs then took on the US government on account of  the American flags that were visibly displayed by CORD supporters during their Uhuru Park rally

Chesumei MP Elijah Lagat said the presence of these flags in the rally  demonstrated  that Americans  were displeased with the Jubilee Government  because US firms had lost business to other foreign firms.

“Currently the Jubilee Government is working with the East and this has not gone down well with West. Ten years ago, we use to get fertiliser from the US  but that has changed,” he said, supported by nominated Senator Martha Wangari.

“We have seen youths in the CORD rally carrying US flags and one doesn’t have to be a genius to know what is going on,” Wangari said in Naivasha.

In Narok, Ruto’s group claimed that the United States had been sponsoring the CORD alliance to destabilise the government and cause anarchy.

Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichungwa said he would provide Inspector General of Police David Kimaiyo with proof that the US had donated Sh106 million to CORD to destabilise the country through incitement.

“We know what Raila went to do in the US and we know who are our enemies are and we shall not be cowed,” Ichungwa said.

The anti-West crusade continued with his Kieni counterpart Kanini Kega  claiming  that several European nations  supported  the Opposition.

Back door

“We know which countries are trying to destabilise Kenya through CORD and we shall not take this lying down,” he said.

Nakuru Senator James Mungai called on the Opposition to allow the Jubilee Government to serve Kenyans. “The Opposition should not stop issuing threats against the Government and IEBC and this will not benefit anyone,” he said.

Three senators — Kimani Wamatangi (Kiambu), Kiraitu Murungi (Meru) and Kembi Gitura (Murang’a) — and Kieni MP Kanini Kega accused CORD leaders of attempting to sneak into power through the back door.

Wamatangi said: “Let them wait until 2017 so that they can go to the elections and seek approval from Kenyans.”

Kiraitu rubbished the ongoing political crusades by the Opposition, likening them with the Karl Max ‘Text book Marxism’ which he said had no place in modern times.

Kiraitu said the proponents of “bado mapambano “should change tune and its proponents adopt modalities of transforming Kenya through democratic ideologies of the modern times.

Valid reasons

The seasoned politician was speaking at Nkubu High School in Meru County during the institution’s education day yesterday.

He hailed Jubilee’s clarion call of ‘Kusema na Kutenda’ as opposed to CORD’s ‘kusema na kusema tu’.

Murang’a Senator Kembi Gitura said CORD should cease “puncturing the actions of the Government while taking no responsibility.”

“We want to tell them that to disband the IEBC, they will need very valid reasons for that to be accepted by other political players,” said the Deputy Leader of Senate Majority.”

Kega called on all CORD’s elected leaders to resign if they were unhappy with how the IEBC conducted the last elections.

 “If they feel and are genuine that IEBC messed up, all CORD’s elected leaders should first resign from their positions since their elections was approved by a body which is not competent,” he said.

Stories by Anthony Gitonga, Nikko Tanui, Charles Ngeno,  Kipchumba Kemei, Michael Olinga, Job Weru and Munene Kamau.