DP William Ruto criticises Raila Odinga’s politics

Deputy President William Ruto addresses residents of Kimana town in Kajiado County. [DPPS]

Deputy President William Ruto has accused ODM leader Raila Odinga of concentrating his efforts on shooting down the bottom-up economic model without giving an alternative.

Speaking at Kimana Town in Kajiado South today, the deputy president claimed Odinga’s speeches “are often full of riddles, arrogance and pride”.

Recently, Raila launched his Azimio la Umoja, a strategic plan aimed at uniting Kenya ahead of the 2022 General Election.

“Let us not follow the Vitendawili man,” Ruto urged a roadside gathering.

“He is proud and arrogant,” added the DP.

Raila often uses riddles to hit out at his opponents. It is this approach, that Ruto claims, adds no value to the discourse on Kenyans’ welfare.

The DP reiterated his past promises pledging to place low-income earners’ welfare at the centre of his government operations should he be elected President in 2022.

He said he will prioritise solutions to the high rate of unemployment among the youth in Kenya.

Raila Odinga, on the other hand, has pledged to unite the country, manage the national debt and provide an enabling environment for the youth to flourish economically.

Both the DP and the former prime minister have been on campaign mode less than 12 months to August 2022 general election.

Sizing each other, sometimes shadowing each other, they are not leaving anything to chance in a battle that has adopted slogans, catchphrases, models, targeted messaging and perception-building.

While Ruto has been going to regions, convening conferences to articulate his solutions to regional needs, Odinga is visiting the regions to preaching national unity and economic revival.

Last weekend, Ruto accused President Kenyatta of reneging on an earlier agreement, in which the President had pledged to support his (Ruto’s) presidential bid in 2022 after Jubilee sees off two terms in power.

The DP also accused Raila Odinga of forging an alliance with the president to frustrate his ambition.

Ruto claimed it was he who hoisted both Kenyatta and Odinga to top positions in Government, and wondered why the duo was the top critic of his bottom-up economic model that he has been riding on to sell his 2022 presidential bid.