ODM chairman and National Assembly Minority leader, John Mbadi, has asked Deputy President William Ruto to stop whining and come to terms with the shifting political tides.
Responding to Ruto’s fears of election malpractice and accusation that the government is manipulating the criminal justice system to intimidate politicians and citizens, Mbadi said the “DP is setting stage to dispute the outcome of the presidential elections slated for August 9.”
“The signs are clear. The mountain is shifting and so there is no way William Ruto is going to win this presidency and that is why he has started speaking the language that he is speaking today,” said Mbadi.
He further said that just because the president has openly supported ODM leader Raila Odinga does not give indication that elections will be rigged. Mbadi said it is hypocritical for the DP to express such sentiments because he also sought and failed to secure Uhuru Kenyatta’s endorsement.
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The Minority leader said Ruto’s stance is hypocritical and suggests that the 2013 and 2017 general elections might have been rigged.
“The president supporting Raila Odinga should not be equated to Raila being supported by the government. It is his democratic right. He is a Kenyan and is still going to live in this country,” said Mbadi.
Mbadi made the statements yesterday when he welcomed MPs Said Hiribae (Galole) and Ali Guyo (Garsen) who defected from Ford-Kenya and Wiper respectively, to join ODM.
“The way the political tide has changed in the country has triggered panic among our competitors. Those areas that were seen not supporting ODM and Raila now have renewed vigour. We are now having a problem with dealing with those joining us,” said Mbadi.
President Kenyatta endorsed Raila as his preferred candidate for the presidency during the Sagana 3 meeting in Nyeri last week. Mbadi said although the move will lend ODM a serious hand in scooping more votes from Mt Kenya, Raila remains a strong candidate selling his own strategy.
“As we speak, he (Raila) has a clear agenda and that is what Kenyans are buying. We warned Ruto a long time ago that running for the presidency is a marathon, not a 100m race. Right now he is so fatigued, we have overtaken him and now he has turned to unnecessary complaints,” said.
The DP is currently on a 10-day tour in the US and UK with his statements hinting to a possible influence of upcoming elections while ironically saying he believes the elections will not be rigged.
“The country is deep in discussion about our democracy, the threats to our democracy and the freedom of choice that people can choose freely without blackmail, intimidation and threats,” Ruto said.
However, the DP’s statements come without evidence of contravention by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) in the preparation and conducting of August 9 elections.
IEBC Chairman Wafula Chebukati on Friday said the Commission will investigate DP Ruto’s claims of planned rigging of the General Election.
