Ruto now says Raila relying on Uhuru for votes

Deputy President during Kenya Kwanza campaigns in Nyandarua.

Deputy President William Ruto has accused ODM leader Raila Odinga of trying to bring confusion in the election campaigns by riding on President Uhuru Kenyatta’s achievements.

He dared Raila to face him during the campaigns instead of going through Uhuru and said his opponent had nothing to offer Mt Kenya region.

“Kenyans are very wise and know very well that we are not competing with Uhuru.

“He should be brave enough to face me head-on and not go behind Uhuru’s back,” he said at Karangatha Stadium in Njambini in Nyandarua yesterday.

Ruto said the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party was well prepared and will defeat Raila in the August polls.

The deputy president said that Raila had nothing for the people of Mt Kenya and was not the best choice.

“He is relying on projects that we started as the Jubilee government in trying to woo the region. Tell him to show just a single project that he has initiated for the people,” he said.

“Let him come to the ground and face me. It is the people who will decide their next president and not some few people in hotels.” 

Ruto promised to set aside Sh100 billion every financial year to uplift small business enterprises.

He said that the only way jobless Kenyans will be assisted is by being given interest-free loans.

“We still insist that the bottom-up economic style will be the only solution to eradicate poverty. If we can spend the same amount to offset Kenya Airways bills, why not do it for our people?” he posed.

He promised to ensure that the Big 4 Agenda promised by Uhuru will be achieved once he is in power.

Once again, he blamed Raila for interfering with the agenda of the Jubilee government.

“We had progressed so well until he came to disrupt us. I want to assure Kenyans that the dreams of the Big Four Agenda will be achieved once President Uhuru Kenyatta leaves office,” he said.

“In the last eight years, over 100 kilometres of road network in Nyandarua have been tarmacked, 90 per cent of homes have been connected to electricity. We have an ICU at JM Kariuki hospital. We will still push for more.” 

He added that those “opposed to us are just concerned on how to get power by changing the Constitution but we are concerned with uplifting the lives of the people.”

Ruto was accompanied by over 15 MPs allied to UDA who took the chance to attack President Uhuru over his recent remarks that the clergy are taking stolen money.

“These are the same people who prayed for you as you headed to the ICC. These are the same people who always pray for you and will be doing so once you retire. Please respect them,” said Nyandarua Woman MP Faith Gitau.

Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichungwa urged the president to desist from ethnic profiling.

“We were shocked that at Sagana, he went ahead to profile Cabinet Secretaries on a tribal basis. Please desist from this,” he said.

Others who attended the rally were senators Kithure Kindiki, Irungu Kangata and Kipchumba Murkomen and MPs Ndindi Nyoro and Michael Muchira.