William Ruto: Uhuru, Raila don't understand common man's problems

United Democratic Alliance (UDA) leader DP William Ruto campaigns in Ngara, Nairobi accompanied by other aspiring candidates. [Jenipher Wachie, Standard]

Deputy President William Ruto is not letting up on his criticism of President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga.

A day after he got the United Democratic Alliance’s nod to fly the presidential flag, Dr Ruto labelled the two leaders “children of privilege”.

“...that is why the handshake brothers can’t understand the problems the common man, the hustler, faces,” Dr Ruto yesterday told supporters during his campaign tour of Nairobi’s central business district.

The Deputy President spoke at his first stop at Fig Tree bus terminus in Ngara. He had been scheduled to arrive at 10am but was five hours late.

His second speech at the tail-end of his city campaign was no different, as he insisted that President Kenyatta and Mr Odinga had each been born with a silver spoon in their mouth.

“They have never had to seek a job. They have never had to go hungry. We must elect a leader who understands the challenges of Kenyans, not children of privilege,” he said, an appeal to the masses that he was not cut from the same cloth.

His remarks came a day after he said his bottom-up economic model was not meant to set the poor against the rich. And it was a message that his entourage eagerly chorused.

“We will create a government that will take care of the downtrodden. The tycoons are just planning on how they will protect their property,” said Mathira MP Rigathi Gachagua.

Tharaka Nithi Senator Kithure Kindiki said, “We want to elect Ruto so that he can transform our economy to help small-scale traders.”

ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi blasted the government over the rising debt burden, saying it had made basic commodities unaffordable.