NAKURU, Kenya Oct 2 – Deputy President William Ruto who held back to back engagements in Muranga and Nakuru counties on Saturday now wants the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) to probe former Mungiki sect leader Maina Njenga and a former Molo MP over remarks that he claims are likely to incite negative ethnicity.
Speaking during a road side rally, Ruto who is among the aspirants in the 2022 presidential race, explained that the era of politicians uniting to form tribal political outfits was long gone.
The Deputy President claimed that the duo were acting under the instructions of his main competitor, Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Leader Raila Odinga.
“I want to tell my friend, ‘Bwana Tinga, those you have contracted, the Chairman of Mungiki and the former Molo MP who are today preaching hate, and division and ethnicity, in your podiums. We want to tell you Kenya is not ready for that kind of politics of violence, and division and politics of hate,” he said
Ruto repeated his advice to politicians forming alliances to compete with him to prepare for a tough race ahead.
“If you have no agenda to sell to the people of Kenya, don’t sell to us fear, do sell to us ethnicity, don’t sell to us division. We have come of age and we will never buy fear from your podium,” Ruto told residents of Nakuru.
Nakuru has retained immense significance in Kenya’s political landscape, and has played host to high-octane political events, with Odinga meeting his close allies in the town as One Kenya Alliance principals converged a few kilometres away in Naivasha town to hammer out a coalition deal.
Ruto, often frequents the region where he attends church functions and holds roadside rallies as part of his efforts to solidify support of the vote-rich Rift Valley region as the 2022 battle for the presidency intensifies.
The fallout between Ruto and President Uhuru Kenyatta has resulted in tension in the county splitting the targeted one million votes the governing Jubilee Party banked on to secure the constitutional threshold of 50 per cent plus 1 votes to win the presidency.
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