DP Ruto warns against 2022 alliances, calls them tribal outfits

Deputy President William Ruto in Gilgil, August 9, 2021. [Kipsang Joseph, Standard]

Deputy President William Ruto has faulted leaders seeking to form 2022 coalitions, saying they could endanger the country's unity.  

Terming them ethnic groupings, Ruto said alliances being built by his rivals ahead of next year's presidential contest were signs of defeat.

"We must refuse to retreat to ethnic political alliances that will hurt our unity and development agenda. Rather, we should establish national parties founded on firm social and economic principles," the Deputy President said.

Speaking at his Karen home in Nairobi yesterday after meeting spiritual leaders from Tharaka Nithi, the DP said those building political alliances ahead of the elections had sensed defeat. 

"The era of political groupings and endorsements is over. The country wants leaders who have plans on the creation of opportunities that will uplift the lives of the ordinary people," he said. 

Ruto, who is seeking to succeed President Uhuru Kenyatta, said the opposition’s failure to bring ideas that will lead to an economic revolution in Kenya will be their undoing in the 2022 contest.

“How will I fail to defeat them if they are still coalescing around tribal outfits and with no agenda to take Kenya forward?” he posed.

He added: “We should establish parties founded on firm social and economic principles towards political stability of our country.”

Present during the meeting were MPs George Murugara (Tharaka), Patrick Munene (Chuka/Igembe Ng’ombe), Beatrice Nkatha (Woman Rep, Tharaka Nithi), Gathoni Wa Muchomba (Woman Rep, Kiambu) and Kimani Ichung’wah of Kikuyu.

Nkatha said they would not fall into the trap of tribal parties. “We will continue grouping ourselves under the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) which is a national party with solid development plans,” she said.

Murugara promised to ensure Ruto gets support in Tharaka Nithi. “The DP has shown he has a plan that will create jobs and foster enterprise,” he added.

Munene said they would continue rallying behind the 'hustler nation.' “We will match forward in unity through the bottom-up economic model,” said Ichung’wah. Wa Muchomba said the Mt Kenya region would back Ruto in 2022.