I haven’t asked for Uhuru support - DP Ruto

Deputy President William Ruto during a Church service at Maranatha Church, Enoosaen Girls grounds, Kilgoris Constituency, Narok County on January 31, 2021. [DPPS, Standard]

Deputy President William Ruto yesterday declared that nobody owed him anything for his 2022 presidential bid.  

In an apparent response to President Uhuru Kenyatta’s speech at Sagana State Lodge on Saturday, Ruto agreed with the assertions that he was not owed.

Dr Ruto said when he supported Uhuru in 2013, he did not give any conditions, adding that he would seek Kenyans’ support directly.

Speaking during a fundraiser for Maranatha Church at Enoosaen, Trans-Mara West Sub-county in Narok County yesterday, Ruto said what was important for him at the moment was to ensure that together with the President they delivered their agenda for Kenya.

The Deputy President said the only debt he and the President had was to unite the country and ensure they delivered on the promises they made to Kenyans in the campaigns leading to the 2013 and 2017 elections.

“I have always defended the Jubilee government’s track record because I know that together with the President we owe Kenyans good leadership and development, since we were elected jointly,” said Ruto.

Ruto said he did not ask the President to support him for 10 years, and that he did not want to rise to the country’s leadership on the basis of ethnic mobilisation and tribal arrangements.

The Deputy President said he would want to be judged based on his performance, asking his rivals not to seek the country leadership using shortcuts and treachery but to sell their agenda to Kenyans.

“The route to leadership is through the people of Kenya. I pity any leader who thinks that he will be elected based on debts, ethnic mobilisation or political arrangements,” said Ruto.

He said all leaders should seek votes based on their development records and agenda for the people they seek to support.

He pledged to unite Kenyans and vowed not to engage in political arrangements aimed at dividing citizens.

Further, Ruto said the journey he started with Uhuru in 2013 had not ended. 

Speaking at the same venue, Narok Deputy Governor Evalyn Aruasa argued that the way the DP moved around the country seeking votes in 2013 and 2017 was the way he would. She added that the DP did not need to be endorsed by anybody.

Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro said the Mount Kenya people were fully behind the Deputy President.

“Uhuru Kenyatta said he would serve for 10 years and support William Ruto to lead the country for 10 years. What has changed? He should tell us,” said Mr Nyoro.

The Kiharu MP added that what was said at Sagana State Lodge did not represent the views of majority of Mount Kenya residents, “who are behind Ruto’s presidential bid”.

Mathira MP Rigathi Gachagua said Ruto’s development record countrywide spoke for itself and that is why his rivals were panicking.

Mr Gachagua said he was not invited to the Sagana State Lodge event, yet the place is in his constituency, because the organisers knew he would have told the President “the truth”.

Also present at the Narok event were MPs Soipan Tuya (Narok County), Johanna Ng’eno (Emurua Dikirr), Gabriel Tongoyo (Narok West), Ken Aramat (Narok East), Korei Lemein (Narok South) and several other leaders.