Ruto calls on IEBC to deliver fair poll
United Democratic Alliance presidential candidate William Ruto yesterday accused President Uhuru Kenyatta of meddling in the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) operations, putting next month’s election in jeopardy.
Speaking at the historic Kapkatet Grounds in Kericho county, a place revered by the Kalenjin community for important political declarations, he accused Uhuru of habouring political mischief.
Citing the arrest of foreign nationals attached to the Smartmatic International BV, a company contracted by IEBC to provide technological support and infrastructure, Ruto termed the move acts of sabotage.
According to him, Uhuru was using the Director of Criminal Investigations George Kinoti to frustrate IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati and his team into submission.
Retracing his troubles with President Uhuru to March 9, 2018 handshake between the latter and opposition leader and Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya presidential candidate Raila Odinga, Ruto said he will not be cowed or intimidated.
“To my friend Uhuru Kenyatta, you have two weeks as the President of the Republic of Kenya. You have a constitutional duty to make sure that we have a free, credible and democratic election,” Ruto said.
He said: “We do not have a personal problem with Uhuru although many of my friends have suffered just having me as a friend… they have been harassed and their businesses destroyed just because of my friendship with them.”
He accused Kinoti of politicising DCI operations adding that Kenyans were watching him keenly. “Kinoti, there is nothing you have done for this country, you have failed Kenyans by playing politics…” he said. “Please save your time; stop writing to us long letters… leave matters of elections to IEBC. You have no business in IEBC, you have failed as DCI and we don’t want you to fail our elections,” said Ruto.
Claiming Azimio had sensed defeat, Ruto said security agencies were not being deployed to intimidate the electoral body as part of wider rigging plans.
And, speaking in his Kalenjin dialect, Ruto regretted Uhuru abandoned him even after fighting tooth and nail for him to secure the presidency in 2013 and 2017.
“I gave him my best. I rallied the people behind him but when my turn came, he showed me his back,” he said.
He urged the residents of Rift Valley to turn up in large numbers on August 9 and vote for him and his running mate Rigathi Gachagua, who was also in attendance.
Ruto also urged locals to embrace the ‘six piece suit’ by voting for only UDA candidates in the election something that could open another battlefront with allied parties such as former Bomet Governor Isaac Ruto’s Chama Cha Mashinani.
Noting that Mt Kenya was solidly behind him and the UDA party, Ruto urged the Kalenjin community not to ‘weaken’ the party he has painstakingly built by voting for fringe parties in the region.
Earlier, Gachagua said the Kenya Kwanza government is going to institute a commission of inquiry into the ‘state capture’ noting that Raila withdrew from next week’s presidential debate ‘because he fears facing the hard questions.’
He urged the Chiefs to ‘play smart’ to avoid being sucked into what he termed as dangerous partisan politics that could plunge their careers into jeopardy.
