You have nowhere to hide, DP Ruto warns drug barons

Deputy President William Ruto addresses residents of Mtwapa in Kilifi County. (Kelvin Karani/Standard)

Deputy President William Ruto said drug barons will be eradicated as the war on narcotics intensifies.

Addressing a rally in Mtwapa town, Kilifi County, Ruto said the extradition of Baktash Akasha and Ibrahim Akasha to the US last week to face drug trafficking charges was just a tip of the iceberg.

“Drug lords should move out of Kenya because there is no place to hide. They will all be rounded up and prosecuted because Jubilee will not tolerant them. They have destroyed hundreds of our youths with narcotics. They are now in hot soup and should better close shop,” the DP said two days after President Uhuru Kenyatta warned that the Government would come down hard on drug peddlers.

Ruto, who is on a tour of Coast, was accompanied by Kilifi North MP Gideon Mung’aro, Kilifi South MP Idd, Mombasa deputy governor Hazel Katana, Mombasa gubernatorial aspirant Suleiman Shahbal and Senators Mike Sonko and Mvita Mshenga, said Jubilee has penetrated Coast which was a CORD stronghold in 2013.

At the same the DP declared that Coast region will be a Jubilee zone after receiving defectors from the opposition since 2013.

Development record

 “Our development record at the Coast has transformed the region into a Jubilee zone. I want residents to challenge CORD to explain its development agenda because it has none. It is using lies and empty rhetoric,” Ruto claimed, urging locals to stop voting along tribal, religious or regional lines.

He noted that the tarmacking of Mariakani Kilifi road was complete while construction of Mariakani-Ganze Road, Magarini-Marafa road and Malindi Salagate road was under way. “Jubilee will tarmac more than 200km in Kilifi County alone. We have also supplied modern equipment to Malindi and Kilifi hospitals at a cost of Sh800 million and supplied electricity to more than 102,000 people,” Ruto noted.

He disclosed that the national government has set aside Sh50 million to construct a Level 4 hospital in Mtwapa town.

The DP said the construction of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) was a success and urged Coast residents to vote for Jubilee on order to benefit from development.

“The Opposition has only succeeded in leading street protests. They should not be challenged to dwell on development and not demonstrations. You should not gamble with your vote anymore. You should part of the 2017 government,” Ruto said.

The DP caused laughter when he urged women to stop dating men who have not acquired voters’ cards saying such people were not development conscious.

He asked residents to be their brother’s keeper and ensure all register as voters.

“I urge Mtwapa ladies not to date men who have not taken voters’ cards to make them more responsible. Such men are no use to their country and must be reminded to take responsibility,” Ruto said.

Ruto also directed chiefs to speed up the application of national identity cards for youths to enable them register as voters.

“Chiefs should relax the cumbersome procedures that deny our youths IDs. They should do so to enable the youth vote in the next elections,” he said.