Lay claim to both successes and failures of Jubilee, Martha Karua tells William Ruto

Raila Odinga's running mate Martha Karua. [Dennish Ochieng, Standard]

Azimio la Umoja - One Kenya Alliance presidential candidate Raila Odinga’s running mate Martha Karua has said DP William Ruto must take responsibility for both the failures and successes of the Jubilee government.

Speaking Tuesday night during a joint interview with all media, Karua faulted DP Ruto for selectively taking credit for the successes the Jubilee regime has achieved.

According to Karua, the DP is dishonest in highlighting that he influenced policy while castigating the same administration for its failures.

“You can’t choose which part of the government to claim credit for and which to disown. If somebody is standing at the podium, and telling people that ‘I’ve influenced this to happen in government’ they must also take the blame for its shortcoming – and that is the way it is,” said Karua.

A message echoed by Odinga who accused the second-in-command of absconding his duties and openly criticising the government which he serves after a bitter fall-out with his boss, President Uhuru Kenyatta, yet refusing to step down.

Odinga accused the DP of doublespeak and hypocrisy over his Kenya Kwanza proposals to, among others, lower the cost of living, fight corruption and create employment.

“It is unfair, really, to blanket-blame the government by somebody who is earning a salary; has got an over 250-man security detail; who is using government vehicles and equipment to do campaigns, to come out and say he is not in government,” said Odinga.

Adding, “if you were kicked out of government, do the decent thing that most responsible people do – resign. That is what Bildad Kaggia and Jaramogi Oginga Odinga did. You can’t blame the same government while earning a salary from it. If that is not hypocrisy, I do not know what is.”

He underscored that his March 2018 handshake with President Uhuru does not relatively imply that he is at the centre of power in Kenya.

"Kenyans know very well that I am not in government. I do not earn a salary in government. I do I live in a government house neither do I get any allowance. I give advice. Advice is just that, what it is. It is not implementable; the receiver can choose to use it or disregard it,” said Odinga.