Is Ruto busy creating imaginary enemies or is he really beign undermined after the handshake?Mr Ruto who has in the past one week been under fire from his supporters after MPs led by Joshua Kutuny accused him of having a hand in the woes of maize farmers in the Rift Valley, has come out guns blazing warning anyone who will stand in his way .
“I will run over whoever will stand on my way,” Mr Ruto said
While Ruto is on record as saying he supports the handshake, he has also declared that he will not support any arrangement threatening the Jubilee succession plan.
“If you try to stop the government’s work, I will deal with you. Jubilee’s priority is construction of roads, ensuring electricity connection, among others. Other things will follow at the right time,” Mr Ruto said.
With religious leaders, Rubati, Tharaka Nithi County. pic.twitter.com/eqOb8lQA1w
— William Samoei Ruto (@WilliamsRuto) December 1, 2018
While speaking in Tharaka Nithi , the Deputy President William Ruto, fired salvos at opposition leaders he accused of undermining him as succession politics takes centre stage just a year after the General Election.
Ruto joined his allies, such as majority leaders in parliament Aden Duale and Kipchumba Murkomen, who have previously accused the opposition of inciting divisions in government, which could pass as a reference to the strengthening bond between Mr Kenyatta and Mr Odinga.
Errand boy
Ruto did not hesitate to react to Mr Musyoka’s remarks about being ready to work for the President.
The deputy president repeated clearly that he was the President’s only principal assistant— or mtu wa mkono — and others should not claim the role, a remark seemingly aimed at Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka who had declared himself Mr Kenyatta’s “errand boy”.
Mr Ruto said he was the only one mandated by the constitution to be “Mr Kenyatta’s errand boy.”
“If anything goes wrong with the work of the President or the Jubilee Party, the first person that would be asked would be me, the one who took an oath to be Mr Kenyatta’s assistant. Did you see anyone else take oath at Kasarani to be Uhuru’s assistant?” the DP asked.
Ruto’s frustrations are further blended by constant reports that taking over from President Kenyatta no longer had the previously assumed guarantee, hence the need to give a warning that he is no pushover.
Mr Ruto seemed to have had a change of heart after what some of his supporters think is the coming together of the country’s “dynasties” to frustrate his succession ambitions.
The handshake in March has since snowballed into what Mr Ruto’s camp views with suspicion as a huge movement, bringing together the Kenyattas, the Odingas, the Mois and Mr Musyoka.
But responding to Mr Ruto’s remarks, Mr Junet Mohamed, a close ally of Mr Odinga and Minority Whip in the National Assembly, accused him of shadow boxing.
“He is busy creating imaginary enemies before going ahead to fight them. His is a fight between Ruto the man and Ruto the shadow. We are not in government; do not plan to join it, but support a course we believe is for the good of the country,” the lawmaker from Suna East said.
Is there a Ruto presidency in 2022?