CORD has chickened out of 2017 presidential race, says Ruto

Deputy President William Ruto cuts a ribbon to commission the construction of roads in Narok town. He was accompanied by Narok Governor Samuel Tunai (left) and and several Jubilee leaders. [PHOTO: DPPS]

The Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD) will lose the 2017 General Election heavily to the new Jubilee Alliance Party (JAP), Deputy President William Ruto has claimed.

The DP said the polls would be a walkover for JAP and that the Opposition is manufacturing “scandals” to scuttle his own bid in 2022.

Ruto claimed that Raila Odinga’s CORD has already conceded the 2017 race to JAP.

“These people do not match our transformation agenda and that is why they have planted scandals such as standard gauge railway (SGR), hotels, laptop project and now NYS,” said Ruto.

Deputy President William Ruto has exuded confidence that the 2017 General Election will be a walkover for the new Jubilee Alliance Party (JAP) and accused the Opposition of engaging in a smear campaign to sabotage his 2022 presidential bid.

Ruto alleged that Raila Odinga’s Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD) had already given up on the 2017 presidential race because of Jubilee’s transformative agenda that he said will guarantee President Kenyatta’s re-election.

The DP spoke in Narok County, when he commissioned rehabilitation of roads in Narok town. The project will cost Sh1.2 billion.

“These people (CORD) cannot match the transformation agenda that we have laid out and that is why they have planted scandals on us but they will not succeed,” said Ruto.

He said Kenyans have come of age and cannot be fooled, adding that financial scandals of the scale of Goldenberg and Anglo Leasing were a thing of the past.

The Deputy President, who was hosted by area Governor Samuel Tunai and his Uasin Gishu counterpart Jackson Mandago, said the Opposition has nothing new to offer to Kenyans and that is why it had resorted to attacking the Government through the media.

Ruto noted Kenyans were already reaping the fruits of devolution, adding that the national government was committed to transforming the lives of citizens at the grassroots.

He said the Government had set aside Sh1.2 billion to build two bypasses in Narok town as well as construction of the Sh1 billion Narok-Sekenani-Maasai Mara and Ololung’a-Olmekenyu roads to open up the county for trade.

Narok County, he said, will get medical equipment worth Sh425 million to boost healthcare in the region.

The Jubilee government, Ruto said, supports the two-thirds gender rule, saying Jubilee promised to empower women, youth and persons with disabilities in its manifesto.

“Women are top on of our agenda and we support full implementation of the gender rule. We have delivered the free maternity for our women and we are happy to report that 67 per cent of women are now giving birth in health facilities,” said Ruto.

The two governors said they would not allow politics to distract them from the development agenda and that they are working with the national government to provide services to the public.

“As governors, we are keen on delivering on what our people elected us to do. Projects such as the roads one will transform the lives of our people,” said Tunai.

Mandago hit out at CORD, saying its leaders had chickened out of the 2017 presidential race because they know they cannot replicate Jubilee’s development record.

“We no longer hear anyone from the Opposition claiming they want to be President or Deputy President. They were in Marakwet recently and they were seeking for ‘cultural chairman positions’,” joked Mandago.

MPs present included Lemanken Aramat (Narok East), Soipan Tuya (Woman Representative), Njogu Barua (Gichugu), Jamleck Kamau (Kigumo) and Gideon Konchela (Kilgoris).