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Ruto said the group had set in place to ensure they ascend to presidency/FILE

Kenya

Uhuru keeps supporters guessing on party choice

Ruto said the group had set in place to ensure they ascend to presidency/FILE

NAIROBI, Kenya Apr 30 – Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta at the weekend declined to bow to pressure from fellow leaders in the G7 group to name his political party of choice.

Kenyatta who recently gave up chairmanship in former ruling party KANU has kept his supporters guessing over his election vehicle.

He failed to state his political party of choice despite calls from fellow G7 leading lights, William Ruto, Eugene Wamalwa and other leaders at a rally in Murang’a.

Speaking during the homecoming party of newly appointed Nairobi Metropolitan Minister Jamleck Kamau, Ruto and Wamalwa insisted that for the G7 political grouping to start strategizing for the general election, Kenyatta needed to make up his mind on his party.

The Eldoret North MP was more explicit, saying that all leaders in the group were identified with a party apart from Kenyatta.

“I am in the United Republican Party (URP) and the rest are in other parties, we want Uhuru to name his party so that we can prepare the ground in readiness for elections,” said Ruto.

But when he rose to speak, Kenyatta evaded the topic insisting on unity in Central Kenya.

While addressing delegates at a Gikuyu, Embu and Meru Association (GEMA) meeting held at the Limuru Conference Centre in March, Kenyatta pledged to name his preferred party in a month’s time.

Kenyatta predicted that one of the G7 leaders will be president since they had pledged to support whoever is chosen as the single presidential candidate.

“There are people who are accusing us of diving the country along tribal lines but these are misguided people since our aim is to unite the country,” he said at the time.

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“It is not my interest to kill anyone as I am currently busy doing important business among them uniting Kenyans. Why kill him and I need to face him in an election so that I can win fair and square,” Uhuru said in an apparent reference to allegations by Gem Member of Parliament that there was a plot to assassinate Prime Minister Raila Odinga. Police have since investigated the claims and declared it a lie and are planning to arraign him in court for giving them false information.

Other leaders who spoke at the event which was attended by over 30 MPs among them cabinet ministers also hinted that Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi was headed in the group.

Dujis MP Aden Duale claimed that Mudavadi was on his way to G7 after ditching ODM.

“We are counting Mudavadi among our leaders since we know what he stands for. We are going to work as a team,” said Duale.

All the leaders who spoke at the meeting held at Kigumo Bendera Secondary School said G7 was founded on the need to bring people from all parts of the country together.

Echoing Uhuru’s sentiments, Ruto said the group had set in place to ensure they ascend to presidency.

“We are not going to let down our supporters. We will remain united till the end and ensure that one of us will be the president of this country,” said Ruto.

He said after the post-election violence, the country was in the process of healing and that the G7 leaders were leading the process.

“The contest in this year’s election will not be based on tribes, it will be about track record and performance not empty rhetoric,” Ruto said.

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Wamalwa said; “This is the team that will lead the country, it does not matter who will become the president, the important thing is a leader acceptable to Kenyans.

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