Deputy President William Ruto has dismissed PS Karanja Kibicho’s claims that intelligence data indicates Raila Odinga will win the August 9 presidential race by getting 60 per cent of the votes.
Ruto described the intelligence report by Kibicho as “fake”, saying the legitimate data that he and President Uhuru Kenyatta are in possession of shows that he is ahead of Odinga by 8 per cent in the presidential contest.
The deputy president, however, did not disclose the percentage of votes that he reportedly has against Odinga as per the intelligence data.
Ruto made the remarks at Kusyombunguo Hotel in Wote, Makueni County on Thursday, June 2, when he hosted an economic forum.
On Tuesday, May 31, Interior Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho told Citizen Television that intelligence data in his possession indicates that Raila Odinga will win the presidential race in the first round by getting 60 per cent of the total votes.
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Ruto now says Kibicho is too much of a junior to have the intelligence report that is a preserve of him and President Uhuru Kenyatta.
“I am the deputy president of the Republic of Kenya. Intelligence report is shared with me immediately after the president receives it. A part of the report is then shared with my juniors. I want to tell the people of Kenya to treat with contempt the propaganda being propagated by some of our staff – that the real intelligence report says our competitors are ahead of us,” said Ruto.
“In fact, the intelligence report released by the National Intelligence Service (NIS) shows that Kenya Kwanza, which I’m part of, is ahead of Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya by 8 per cent [in the presidential race],” he added.
The DP, however, did not provide proof of his allegations.
“I want to challenge the public officials, if they are serious about what they are saying, let them publish the report that they are claiming came from the NIS. Waache upuzi (let them stop the nonsense).”
Ruto said the data in his possession places him significantly ahead of Odinga.
“The intelligence report which the president and I have is different from what we’re being told by those characters who pretend to be in possession of legitimate intelligence reports,” he said.
The deputy president said Kibicho’s remarks smacked of a junior who lacks respect for his seniors.
“It’s Uhuru Kenyatta and I who campaigned and won elections to be crowned the president and deputy president respectively. After that, we looked for some people to help us run the government. I took part in interviewing some of these people for the State jobs that they are currently occupying. I am surprised that these people, who I took part in hiring, are now arrogant and full of pride,” said the DP.
“Some of them are even telling lies. One of them was interviewed on national television, where he said that intelligence report shows that Raila Odinga will win the presidential race with 60 per cent of the votes cast. You should respect those who gave you jobs, my friends. There are many people who we could have given the jobs. It’s not like you are more special than any other group of people. There are so many people who are more competent than you,” said Ruto.
The DP claimed Kibicho and other principal secretaries and Cabinet secretaries were engaging in politics, yet they’d been hired in government as technocrats who should be apolitical.
“If you are in government, do government tasks, or resign and pursue politics. We'll meet on the campaign trail if you opt for politics,” said Ruto.
Ford-Kenya Party leader Moses Wetangula, who was with Ruto in Makueni on Thursday, also asked Kibicho to keep off politics, exuding confidence that Kenya Kwanza will produce Kenya’s fifth president.
“We’re going to win the presidential election in August,” he said.
“To Kibicho, if you have access to national intelligence data, that is not your property. National intelligence is a property of Kenyans. Every intelligence by the NIS should be shared with all Kenyans. You can’t put the national intelligence data in your pocket the same way a little boy would hide a toy in his pocket.”
These remarks come on the back of allegations by Kenya Kwanza that the government, through Cabinet secretaries and the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA), is plotting to rig the presidential polls in favour of Raila Odinga.
The senior State officers and the CA have denied the allegations.
Additional reporting by Stephen Nzioka in Makueni County
