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President helped me climb the mountain, Ruto reveals

Monday, October 25th, 2021 05:00 | By
Deputy President William Ruto addressing wananchi. Photo/DPPS

Clement Kamau and Mutuku Mwangangi

Deputy President William Ruto yesterday claimed it was President Uhuru Kenyatta who advised him to camp in Mt Kenya  to win hearts of residents ahead of the 2022 polls.

In what he termed as a confession, the Ruto  said the President told him to start planning early so that he could easily live with people from the region.

In a veiled attack on ODM leader Raila Odinga, he said that scaling the mountain is not a walk in the park but a rigorous expedition requiring years to get through.

“People are having problems because they have just discovered that there’s a mountain to climb.

They should know that they cannot do it in months or just one year. I am lucky my friend Uhuru told me to start planning to live and work with watu wa mlima (people from the mountain),” he said.

He said Uhuru told him that people from the region require good infrastructure, revamped agriculture, hospitals and water.

 He spoke at the Latter Glory Worship Centre in Gachie during a Sunday service which was also a thanks-giving ceremony for the recently elected Kiambaa MP Kimani Wanjiku, who was elected on a United Democratic Alliance (UDA( ticket.

The DP, who was flanked by more than 20 sitting MPs, a host of civic leaders and aspirants drummed up support for the bottom-up economic model saying it holds the future aspirations and jobs for the youth.

Overwhelming majority

Saying that the hustler movement will win the 2022 General Election with an overwhelming majority, he said that UDA’s win in Kiambaa was a clear manifestation of the fact that nothing is impossible.

“I want to tell the young people of Kenya that with God, everything is possible.

Today Ka Wanjiku is sitting on the seat where the big, mighty and wealthy Mbiyu Koinange, Njenga Karume and Stanley Githunguri sat,” he said adding: “In 2013, my brother Uhuru Kenyatta and I were not people to be elected.

We had a big case at The Hague. Donors and embassies warned that choices have consequences. It’s only God who gave us victory”.

 The DP later made a tour of the Kiambaa sub-county and addressed crowds in Gachie market, Rivalori, Gacharage, Ndenderu, Muchatha, Ruaka before holding a public meeting at Karuri Primary School grounds.

MPs Ndindi Nyoro, Githua Wamachukuru, Silvanus Osoro,Rigathi Gachagua, Aisha Jumwa, Alice Wahome and Kimani Ichung’wah among others termed as a blessing in disguise recent remarks by Suna East MP Junet Mohamed that if Raila wins, the government will belong to Nyanza people.  

Thika Town MP Patrick Wainana Jungle used the occasion to defect the Ruto camp.

 “The Junet revelation is out. He is a very genuine person. Kenyans and particularly people from the central region should know that Raila doesn’t mean well for them and the country,” said Wahome.

Today, Ruto will raid Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka’s Ukambani  backyard in a charm offensive mission made to enrich his vote basket as 2022 presidential campaigns hot up.

The DP will be meet more than 4,000 delegates and opinion leaders at Kyanginywa village on the farm of James Mbaluka, the UDA Makueni county coordinator.

Ruto’s visit comes after a similar episode in Coast and western region where he drummed up support for his presidency pegged on bottom-up economic philosophy.

The DP is set to be accompanied by his Ukambani allies led by UDA chairman Johnstone Muthama, MPs Victor Munyaka (Machakos Town), Nimrod Mbai (Kitui East) and Mwala’s Vincent Musyoka.

According to insiders, DP’s schedule will begin with a breakfast meeting with local opinion leaders before embarking on a countywide trail where he will address a series of rallies in Mtito Adei, Kambu, Kibwezi and Makindu towns.

Details have emerged that Ruto might have been motivated by UDA’s performance in the recent Nguu/Masumba ward by-election. 

UDA’s candidate Daniel Musau bagged 2,219 votes beating Wiper candidate Eshio Mwaiwa with 1,614 votes.

Timothy Maneno who was backed by Machakos chief of staff Mwengi Mutuse and Makueni Governor Kivutha Kibwana carried the day with 2,902 votes.

“The recent Nguu/Masumba by-election confirmed that UDA has made inroads into the region perceived as Wiper party stronghold. 

It was also an indicator of Kalonzo’s fast-fading political influence on deciding who should take what” said Phillipe Sadja, political analyst and Chama Cha Uzalendo Secretary-General.

Pundits have argued that the presidential contest has so far narrowed to Ruto and Raila  and that OKA chiefs had no alternative other than aligning themselves to either candidate.

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