William Ruto accuses Opposition of using Jacob Juma's death for political mileage

Deputy President William Ruto inspects a copmuter lab at St Augustine high school , Lari , Kiambu County

Deputy President William Ruto has said he will triumph over what he termed the Opposition's scheme to tarnish his name hoping to wreck Jubilee coalition.

"CORD has sensed defeat in 2017 polls where President Uhuru Kenyatta will be re-elected and they have turned the heat on me because they know I am ready for them in 2022," Mr Ruto claimed.

Ruto said nothing would stop him from defeating his challengers in the election.

"The Opposition has constantly tried to pin mistakes on me, hoping their attempts will defeat me in the coming General Election. They are all wrong," Ruto told residents of Kagwe in Lari Constituency, Kiambu County, during a fundraiser at Christ the King Catholic Church, Wandemi yesterday.

"If they want a straight competition Jubilee is ready. They should not hide behind funeral misfortunes of others and pain of other Kenyans. Let them be man enough and face Jubilee, if they are men enough or men at all," he added.

"If CORD genuinely wants to compete with Jubilee they should leave the dead and funerals and face the Government man to man," he said accusing Opposition leader Raila Odinga of using Jacob Juma's death to gain political mileage.

"If they have not assisted the police by giving information they claim to have, then they are as guilty as the criminal who murdered Juma," said the DP who was accompanied by over ten MPs from Central Kenya.

The CORD team, he said, has no agenda and has realised that it cannot compete with the Jubilee government's development agenda in construction of roads, the SGR, security systems and electricity.

He told the Opposition to stop wasting time engaging in confrontational politics and instead tell Kenyans what their alternative agenda for development is because the Jubilee government is dedicated to improve the lives of citizens

The DP said he will face CORD personally, "I do not need Uhuru, I will sort them out, they are not his size. We will handle them," He said.

He said Raila made the ICC case hoping the two leaders would be jailed for him to be the President.

"He still thinks he will be President over the ICC cases, he should wake up from his slumber because he is still dreaming. Hague will never make Raila the President... He used Hague in 2013, now he is using funerals to tarnish my name," he said.

At the same time, the DP said that calls by Opposition for the disbandment of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries commission (IEBC) were tantamount to a coup against the Constitution. He pointed out that IEBC and the Supreme Court are anchored in the Constitution and cannot be easily disbanded.

Ruto said the Government is ready to have dialogue with the Opposition over IEBC through Parliament. "If they are really honest about dialogue they should forget conditions," he said.

Githunguri MP Njoroge Baiya said every time there is an election CORD always asks for the disbandment of the electoral body.

"No commissioner should go home before his or her time since they have done nothing wrong, CORD should not demonise the commission," he said.

By David Njaaga 40 mins ago
Business
Government pledges support for Nairobi traders amid market challenges
Business
Premium Ruto's food security hopes facing storm amid fake fertiliser scam
Real Estate
Premium Affordable housing: Will State's data-backed action now pay off?
Business
Premium Nairobi business community plans protest as over 700 containers held at port