DP William Ruto says opinion polls doctored by Deep State to Raila's advantage

DP William Ruto addresses supporters at Kocholia market in Teso North, Busia County. [Benjamin Sakwa, Standard]

Deputy President William Ruto has put pollsters on notice over what he termed as fake opinion polls that show Raila Odinga in the lead in the presidential race.

Speaking in Bungoma County, Ruto said the opinion polls were sponsored by Deep State to water down his candidature.

“The deep state has embarked on doctoring opinion polls that place his (Raila) popularity ahead of mine after sensing I am going to beat him by a big margin. Pollsters, please stop giving Raila an avenue of getting excuses after losing in next month's polls,” he said.

“The other day he (Raila) was complaining about the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission and its chair Wafula Chebukati so that when he flops in the presidential election he blames them for it,” Ruto stated.

Accompanied by Ford Kenya leader Moses Wetang’ula, Senate Speaker Ken Lusaka and Laikipia Woman MP Cate Waruguru, Ruto addressed rallies in Trans Nzoia, Bungoma and Busia yesterday.

The DP said the Deep State has unsuccessfully employed all manner of tricks to bring him down and has now retorted to influencing polls that were unscientific and detached from the reality on the ground.

He was particularly enraged with the recent polls by Trends and Insights Africa (Tifa) which suggested some 2 million voters were undecided on whom they would vote for in the August 9 polls saying such was “not possible as everyone will vote and has decided on which presidential candidate they will pick.”

Dr Ruto who was on his second-day tour of Western asked the voters to ignore the polls and vote for him in large numbers saying his votes “cannot be stolen by anyone.”

“Don’t worry, just vote for me then leave the rest to me,” the DP who has tasked ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi and Wetang’ula to deliver 70 per cent of the region’s 2.2 million votes to warrant a 30 per cent share of his government.

From left: Musalia Mudavadi, Boni Khalwale, Moses Wetang'ula and Cleophas Malala. [Nathan Ochunge, Standard]

He asked residents to vote for Kenya Kwanza governor candidates; Kiminini MP Chris Wamalwa (Trans Nzoia), Nambale MP Sakwa Bunyasi (Busia) and Speaker Lusaka (Bungoma).

Ms Waruguru said Azimio was mischievously playing the gender card when they only picked Ms Karua, to be Mr Odinga’s running mate whom they were passing as “a representative of all women.”

“We will have 50 per cent of our women in the core of the Kenya Kwanza government structure, forget about the Azimio scheme designed to blind you,” she told voters in Mount Elgon constituency.

Ms Karua who was in Kakamega over the weekend called on women to vote overwhelmingly for Mr Odinga to reciprocate his decision to nominate her as his running mate.

Mr Wetang’ula exuded confidence that since he and Mr Mudavadi joined Dr Ruto, Kenya Kwanza’s popularity had soared and that is the reason why pollsters were “sponsored to control the ratings.”

Azimio la Umoja presidential candidate Raila Odinga. [File, Standard]

"You should vote to retire Raila for disrespecting the Luhya leaders. He should go home with President Uhuru Kenyatta who has run down the country for Ruto to show him how to properly run a country," the Ford Kenya leader told residents at Kocholia, Teso North, Busia county.

Former Foreign Affairs CAS Ababu Namwamba termed the DP a true friend who deserved to be supported by the Luhya community.

Dr Lusaka promised to unite Bungome county, if elected governor and to complete his legacy projects that stalled when he was voted out in 2017.

Mr Bunyasi pledged to build a dry port in Busia on the border of Uganda and Kenya.