Stop pretending to be co-president, DP Ruto allies tell Raila

The back-and-forth between allies of Deputy President William Ruto and those of ODM leader Raila Odinga continued Tuesday, with Jubilee leaders asking the ODM leader to “stop pretending to be a co-president.”

The leaders said that after the March 9 handshake with President Uhuru Kenyatta, Mr Odinga had used his Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party to “undermine the DP.”

This, even as ODM deputy party leader Wycliffe Oparanya Tuesday demanded that the DP apologises for his “con man” remark on Mr Odinga.

REVEAL DETAILS

“The details of this handshake between the President and Mr Odinga must be revealed so that Mr Odinga stops hiding behind it to attack the Deputy President. The working arrangement between the President and the Opposition leader did not entail undermining Mr Ruto,” Nandi Governor Stephen Sang told the Nation.

Chepalungu MP Gideon Koskei and Bomet Woman Representative Joyce Korir said ODM is out to rock Jubilee from within, an accusation the DP made on Sunday, triggering a round of dismissals from Mr Odinga’s camp.

“Mr Odinga should stop portraying himself as a co-president with Mr Kenyatta,” Mr Koskei said.

“If Raila is really genuine with the handshake, why has he not held a meeting with the DP?”

CREATE CRISIS

Mrs Korir said: “Mr Odinga wants to create a crisis in Jubilee, and he needs to be stopped before he causes further disunity in the party."

Mr Oparanya, the Kakamega Governor, on the other hand, said the statements made by Mr Ruto on Sunday, in which he said Mr Odinga was planning to force him out of the ruling Jubilee Party through his handshake with President Kenyatta, were unwarranted.

“It is unfortunate to note that the DP’s comments were reckless and in bad taste, coming at a time when the country is enjoying relative calm due to the handshake and do not, in any way, relate to the stature and dignity required of his office; neither do they inspire hope in a country riddled with politics of ethnic hate and corruption,” Mr Oparanya said in a statement. On Tuesday, the ODM Women’s League joined the leaders in condemning Mr Ruto’s utterances.

“This is childish politics that has been overtaken by time. When he was in ODM and was plotting to leave, he started like he has today, blaming everyone and anything. We want to remind him that Mr Odinga is where he left him seven years ago — ODM. He has nothing to do with his woes in Jubilee party,” the Women’s League said in a statement.

FINANCE BILL

In Central Kenya, a section of MPs Tuesday addressed another matter pitting the DP and Mr Odinga — an accusation by National Assembly Minority Whip Junet Mohamed that Mr Ruto had planned the revolt witnessed in Parliament when MPs rallied against their parties in opposing the Finance Bill.

Mr Mohamed alleged that Mr Ruto met a group of about 30 MPs drawn from both Jubilee and ODM for a session where strategies of scuttling the Bill were extensively discussed.

MPs Rigathi Gachagua (Mathira) and his Tetu counterpart Gichuhi Mwangi Tuesday wondered why the DP would call a meeting in his Karen home to counter the resolution made during the Parliamentary Group meeting in State House where Jubilee MPs unanimously agreed to support the eight per cent tax on petroleum products.

PANICKING

“That the DP held a meeting to plot against his boss is baseless and total rubbish. They are just panicking because he is the front-runner and instead of focusing on rebuilding Nasa, they want to destabilise Jubilee but they will not succeed,” Mr Gachagua said.

Maara MP Kareke Mbiuki added: “Honestly, it is very unfair to allege that Mr Ruto was behind the rebellion because MPs decided to be led by their own conscience,” said Mr Mbiuki.

Mathioya's Peter Kimari said the DP lobbied for the passing of the Bill. "In fact, the DP was playing lead when we attended the parliamentary group meeting and directed us to support the government initiative," he said.

At the Coast, the DP has been going about campaigning undeterred, and has now targeted members of the county assemblies.

This was evident in his five-day tour of the Coast that ended on Monday where he held a meeting with Taita-Taveta MCAs and the Kilifi Assembly Majority Leader Adamson Mwathethe was allowed to address locals at the DP’s event.

Reports by Patrick Lang’at, Francis Mureithi, Vitalis Kimutai, Grace Gitau, Ndung’u Gachane, Alex Njeru, Lucy Mkanyika, and Kalume Kazungu.