Seth Onyango @SethManex
Deputy President William Ruto has accused his political rivals of engaging in smear campaigns to taint his name using corruption even as he steered clear of his alleged assassination.
In an interview with K24’s Anne Kiguta in her inaugural show, Punch Line on Sunday evening, Ruto refused to be drawn into the controversial claims of CSs plotting his elimination at a secret meeting at a city hotel.
The DP said he had discussed the matter with the President and would not comment on it.
“I have discussed the issue with my boss, the President and it is not for discussion beyond he and I.”
On graft, Ruto said the issue had been politicised. “That corruption narrative is a convenient narrative because they have looked around and they can’t find…they can’t say William Ruto is incompetent, they can’t say Ruto doesn’t have passion, doesn’t have ideas, is not focussed, they say anything that will persuade anybody,” he said.
“When someone claims Sh800 billion has been lost to corruption, what are they saying? Our revenue collection is about Sh1.45 trillion; we pay salaries of about Sh700 billion. Are they saying that after paying salaries nothing else is done?”
The DP also warned that the blurring of lines between the government and the Opposition could lead to creation of a single party state.
“We must never contemplate having a single party arrangement, because it will take us back to incompetence, back to dictatorship, back to an era where there is complete impunity,” he said.
He dismissed calls for a referendum, saying the bicameral Parliament can make statutory amendments to cure governance challenges in the country.
The DP argued that the focus should be on empowering the Opposition, which he said could be effected by Parliament.
“You need a stronger Opposition than anything else in Kenya today. The Opposition leaders are stranded because they are not in Parliament or in any formal office,” he said.
Public vote
Ruto was, however, non-committal about the Punguza Mzigo referendum push, instead calling on its advocates to sit down with the Building Bridges Initiative taskforce to agree on the way forward.
Punguza Mizigo proposed amendments to introduce a one-term seven-year presidency, and reduce the size of Parliament from the current 416 to 147.
Ruto said like any other Kenyan, he would vote at the referendum when the time comes but insisted any changes to the law should not be made to benefit individuals.
“A referendum that addresses the needs of wananchi and eases their burden is the way to go. The two sides that are fronting issues for a public vote ought to sit, deliberate and prosecute key matters that will be put to Kenyans,” he said.
“If a referendum comes, William Ruto like any other Kenyan will make a decision at the ballot by voting. And whichever way it goes, we will work with that. As the Deputy President, I am busy assisting the President in putting the development agenda in place. We are busy with the delivery of the Big Four,” he said.
Known to shoot from the hip, Ruto remained calm as Kiguta went on the offensive with charged questions about his character and leadership style.
To observers, this change of demeanour was conspicuous a stark contrast for a man with a penchant for courting controversy.
“Do you and the President share a common vision about how this country should be run? The president has said that members of his party should stop politicking and focus on development. You on the other hand seem to prefer a different view, that both can be done?” Kiguta asked.
After a brief pause, Ruto’s response was subtle: “Hmmmm… How did you arrive at that conclusion? Are you really going to put that in the public domain?” he said, dismissing the assertions as fake news.
During an interview on Kameme TV in May, the DP took a swipe at those accusing him of politicking, asserting it was foolhardy not to expect him to lay ground for his 2022 presidential campaigns.
Disowns own words
“I am a Christian and when we go to church, all of us believe we will go to heaven…we receive sermons, but we don’t know the date or the day, but for elections in 2022, we know the year, we know the date and day, the second Tuesday in August, then why should we not plan?” he posed.
With his interview with Kiguta coming slightly over a month after the Kameme one, Ruto literally disowned his own words.
To observers, Ruto is basically heeding advice to avoid an all-out political confrontation with President Uhuru Kenyatta, which could complicate things for him.
It is against that background that the country’s second in command was evasive in his responses to questions.
For instance, Kiguta asked him: “Do you support the Handshake?”
“Why do you ask me if I support the Handshake? Bringing this country together is at the heart of the Jubilee philosophy. We built Jubilee, our primary aim was to bring the country together,” Ruto responded as he avoided giving a direct answer.
Ruto appeared cagey, refusing to respond to sensitive questions.
He pushed a loyalist narrative, calling the Head of State a gentleman as well as showering him with adulation as he dismissed claims that he was not in good terms with his boss.
“We have a working relationship with President Uhuru Kenyatta. Our rapport goes back a long time. We share a vision of unity, prosperity and common good for all Kenyans,” he said.
