NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 8- Kenya’s outgoing President Uhuru Kenyatta has sustained his political attack on his Deputy President William Ruto, as the August 9 elections near.
The President is serving his second and final term but has indicated his intentions to play an active role in supporting who will succeed him.
On Monday, he launched a direct attack on his Deputy, saying he had abandoned work for politics.
He said, “work cannot be done on top of cars.”
His sentiments angered his Deputy, who on Tuesday hit back, saying there would have been no Jubilee government without his contribution.
He too, Ruto said, has a right to ride on the successes of the Jubilee government.
“You cannot deny me credit for the many things we have achieved as Jubilee government,” the Deputy President said.
He was speaking in Kakamega County, while in the company of other Kenya Kwanza leaders.
“I made an equal contribution to the success of the Jubilee administration, and I know too well, you plan theory in offices but you execute practicals in the field, sometimes on top of cars,” he said.
Of those present included Amani National Congress leader Musalia Mudavadi and Bungoma Senator Moses Wetangula, who is also the party leader of Ford Kenya.
“He (President Kenyatta) doesn’t want to go home like Kibaki did (former President),” the ANC boss said.
DP Ruto accused the President of planning to continue running the affairs of the country through the back door, by supporting former prime minister Raila Odinga.
“Kenyans will decide and determine their destiny,” he said.
He has accused Odinga of being a state project, sentiments the President as well as the Orange Democratic Movement leader have denied.
“I have no project,” the President said on Mombasa, during a work-tour of the Coastal County.
He however indicated that he will openly support the person “I trust. I will not tire in requesting Kenyans to vote for candidates vying on Jubilee.”
The President is expected to start a tour of his Mt Kenya political backyard, to root for Odinga and the ruling Jubilee party, which has so far lost most of its elected leaders to UDA and other parties.
“Jubilee is not dead,” the President said.
“I pleaded with them to stop early campaigns but they ignored me and my advice and yet they are claiming that they have been working. Let us not be cheated at all,” he said.
“I am now ready to face them and we will do politics properly.”
Already, the ruling party has adopted a few measures to rebrand the party, including the change of logo.
The handshake symbol and yellow colour have since been removed.
“Of the 8 million people who supported President Kenyatta, you mean there is no one who can be supported?” DP Ruto posed, over Kenyatta’s decision to support Odinga.
In the last two general elections, President Kenyatta faced fierce competition from Odinga.
“Kenya sio ya watu watatu, wanne au familia chache za Kenya (Kenya does not belong to three or four people or few families)…enough is enough, we will not allow you to impose a puppet on the people of Kenya,” DP Ruto said while on a campaign tour of Shinyalu in Western Kenya.
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