Ruto allies hit back at pro-handshake MPs, say aware of DP impeachment plot

Jubilee MPs allied to DP Ruto led by Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria addressing media at Parliament on March 11, 2020. [Boniface Okendo/Standard]

Blow after blow, an attack after the other and the political circus is never-ending.

Now, Ruto allies have responded to a statement by pro-Uhuru-Raila MPs earlier this afternoon, calling upon the deputy president to resign.

Without elaborating, they were aware of a planned meeting scheduled for tomorrow, Thursday, to bring forth an impeachment motion against the deputy president that could see his removal from office “so that Raila can get a position in government”. 

The Ruto allies, also known as Tanga Tanga group, accused ODM leader Raila Odinga of hiding behind the president and using the BBI to insult and undermine DP Ruto.

In the retaliatory statement, the lawmakers led by Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria said, “BBI process has been fraudulently hijacked by Raila who has been going round the country using it to insult the Deputy President.”

The statement further said: “In becoming the most visible actor in BBI, Odinga has escalated his personal wants into the national agenda, hijacked national institutions to serve opposition and Odingaist purposes and threatened the legitimacy of the BBI altogether”. 

The Ruto allies further claim that the former premier has seized the authority and credibility of the president’s vision and is now using it to achieve his own ambitions.

“BBI is not an ODM platform to wage partisan war using state budget. It is now a bureau to facilitate Odinga’s vendetta against the Deputy President and make it seem to be an explicit government agenda,” the statement continued.

Loyalty to the President

The lawmakers also questioned remarks by the pro-Uhuru-Raila group alleging that Ruto’s talk at the weekend of a ploy out to ‘finish’ him were eroding the prestige and honour of the President and translated to “fighting the government from within”.

Said the Tanga Tanga brigade: “We have seen Raila through his party members at Serena pontificate about how we should respect the President. Really? Did they just say “we should be loyal and respect the president?”

“The president has not complained about his deputy neither has he sent anybody to do so on his behalf.”

The MPs were responding to a statement by over 20 leaders allied to President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga, who accused DP Ruto of misconduct and violation of his oath of office.

They dared Ruto to step down and instead, focus on his presidential ambitions.

“William Ruto must shape up or ship out,” they said in a joint statement over an alleged “reprehensible conduct” of the DP. The statement also talked of a fifth column which the dictionary describes as "an enemy from within".