Omtatah faults Ruto's ethnic framing claims

Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah at Parliament buildings, Nairobi. [File, Standard]

Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah has dismissed President William Ruto’s recent claims that his administration is being targeted by a specific community, describing the remarks as unbecoming of a Head of State.

President  Ruto had claimed that persistent criticism of his government is ethnically motivated, contrasting his treatment with that of his predecessors, Mwai Kibaki and Uhuru Kenyatta, whom he said were not subjected to similar “cruel treatment.”

Speaking at a press conference in his Nairobi office yesterday, Omtatah said the fury against President Ruto is emanating from the challenges facing Kenyans including economic hardship, corruption, and unemployment-- national issues that require unified solutions, not toxic tribal scapegoating.

“He cannot say Uhuru was never challenged. We challenged him. I personally challenged him so many times. In fact, during a judicial function, he condemned me publicly—though without naming me—for securing too many court orders against his administration.”

Omtatah said Ruto’s claims are a tactic to divert the public’s attention from important issues and an attempt to absolve himself from taking responsibility for his failures. 

Appearing visibly agitated on Wednesday, President Ruto questioned why similar outrage had not been directed at Kibaki or Kenyatta.

“All this chaos—why wasn’t it directed at Mwai Kibaki and Uhuru Kenyatta? Why the contempt and arrogance?” he asked.

In apparent endorsement of the President’s remarks, National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula called on Ruto’s ethnic community to stand behind him, framing them as his “last line of defence.”“It is upon you to be the first and last line of defence for our President. If someone tries to interfere with your rule, tell them to wait their turn,” Wetang’ula said during a Friday address.

But Senator Omtatah strongly rejected this ethnic framing.