Murathes hopes of stopping Ruto have been greatly boosted after he was advised by top lawyers that, constitutionally it is highly viable and arguable that the Deputy President may be locked from contesting for the office of the President upon the expiry of his two five-year terms.
Lawyers have expressed confidence that Dp Ruto will be locked out of the 2022 presidential race as he will have contradicted the constitution.
Former Jubilee chairman David Murathe sparked the debate questioning why Uhuru was retiring but leaving Ruto to run for president.In his latest attack against DP Ruto, Murathe says his legal team is seeking the advice of the constitutional court before heading to the supreme court.
Murathe says that according to Article 147 of the Constitution, The deputy president is the President’s principal assistant and can execute Presidential functions a case witnessed in October 2014 when the Uhuru left Ruto as the Acting President for three days while he attended the status conference at the International Criminal Court, Netherlands.
During the period that Ruto was in power, Murathe’s lawyers argue that the he exercised presidential powers and in fact did so from the President’s official office and with all the privileges, responsibilities and trappings of presidential power.
Under the previous Constitution as well the President could not be on his own. Murathe and his team further argue that article 148 ( 1 ) says the DP is elected into office by virtue of having been chosen as the President’s running mate during the presidential elections.
Murathe has recieved a political backing after he exposed plots by DP Ruto to fix his preffered candidates across the country and as a result rigging out many popular Jubilee aspirants during the 2017 nominations. Murathe alleges that Ruto’s presidency will bring calm from a section of Kenyans in panic over his past record.
The former Gatanga MP has pledged to block Ruto from running for President “because he is unfit and would have served for 10 years jointly with President Kenyatta who will not be eligible for another term”.
Murathe’s sentiments were shared with Party Secretary General Raphael Tuju, with Kikuyu elders throwing their weight behind the remarks.
Ruto will still be at the ballot box despite what, this is Kenya and we should not be cowed to believing empty schemes.The political elite are always surviving on a win win strategy and nobody is above the other.