Ruto says Raila desperate for Uhuru's nod in next year's polls

DP William Ruto dismissed the so-called deep State on claims that they could influence 2022 polls. [DPPS, Standard]

Deputy President William Ruto has said his competitors were getting scared and are clinging to President Uhuru Kenyatta for endorsement in the 2022 presidential contest.

The DP also indicated that he was in talks with ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi.

He said he was ready to beat his competitors despite support from any corner because he had a better agenda than his rivals.

“Those competing with me have gone to hide behind the president because they don’t want to face me. The contest requires three things, it requires someone with an agenda which we we already have, you need a track record, we have been leaders,” said Ruto.

He dismissed allegations that there the so-called deep State and the system will have a say in next year’s elections and influence the outcome.

Ruto said he has been in office of the DP and had not encountered the influence of deep State and the system during elections.

“This thing called deep State and system is a fallacy. I am the DP and I know there is nothing like that. They would not have allowed us to win most of the by-elections,” said Ruto. He was referring to a series of by-elections his wing has won against candidates associated with Uhuru.

In an interview with Inooro TV on Tuesday at his Sugoi home in Uasin Gishu, Ruto said he has been in the government and has never seen or heard the impact of an amorphous group.

“After the handshake, they said you cannot compete with the government, but we defeated them in Msambweni by-elections, in Juja and in Kiambaa. UDA has been winning by-elections which could have been the other way round if the deep State was in place,” said Ruto.

Ruto said the same people who were claiming his name will not be on the ballot in 2022 have now changed the narrative, saying he will not win the election.

“They have admitted that I will be on the ballot and I will win the election but they will not declare me a winner because of deep State,” Ruto said.

He added that if the deep State and the system existed, the 2017 presidential elections would not have been canceled. “If there was something about the deep State, I would have known about it.”

President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga outside Harambee House, 2018. [Willis Awandu, Standard]

The DP said President Kenyatta is still his friend. “Despite all the gossip, the president is still my friend. I am not running against the president in 2022. People competing against me do not want to face me directly. They are hiding behind the president under the guise of handshake,” said the DP.

He also commented on the internal wrangles in UDA party that has pitted Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru against Woman Representative Wangui Ngirici, who has since fallen out favour within the party. 

Ngirici has complained of betrayal after she helped establish UDA, only to be shoved out by Governor Waiguru, a latecomer to the Ruto-led outfit.

Ruto assured all those competing on the UDA ticket that there will be a free and fair elections and not even his friends will get free tickets.

On the controversial Political Parties (Amendment) Bill, 2021, that was being debated by a special sitting in National Assembly yesterday, Ruto expressed confidence that it will be a win-win situation.

Ruto opposed the amendment that gave the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties powers to control the affairs of parties.

“Every Kenyan should be allowed to decide about their affairs. It should not be that the registrar, for example, will decide about the ruling of the UDA party, no. Those are the things we are saying must be amended,” he said.

Ruto also sold his bottom-up economic model, noting that his idea had been tried and tested in a number of countries.

“The model is understood worldwide, United States President Joe Biden talks about bottom up-middle out. Ours is bottom up. In Kenya, we do not have a sufficient middle class population to extend our model to that group,” said Ruto.

He spoke highly about Chief of Staff in the DP’s office, the late Ambassador Ken Osinde who died two weeks ago and described him as hardworking.