Deputy President William Ruto has called upon leaders to take an inclusivity approach to Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) politics, following the roughing up of one of his team Tangatanga MPs, Moses Kuria, during a BBI rally in Kitui, on Saturday.
Speaking during the consecration of the second Diocesan Bishop, Rev Joseph Omwoyo Ombasa, in Kisii, Ruto termed the use of brutal force against individuals with differing opinions as primitive.
”Nataka niwaulize viongozi hao wengine wote, tuwache makelele na fujo na ubabe na mambo hayo ambayo yanaturudisha nyuma (my appeal to all leaders is that they should stop bickering, using excessive force and dictatorship, among other backward practices),” Ruto said.
DP Ruto on Moses Kuria's harassment in Kitui
Deputy President William Ruto responds to Moses Kuria's harassment by goons during the Building Bridges Initiative consultative meeting in Kitui county
Posted by DAILY NATION on Sunday, 2 February 2020
He preached the message of honorable dialogue, insisting on the need to hear out all opinions, on matters of national discourse.
‘‘Kama ni mjadala mnafanya tuweke heshima, tuweke ungwana, tusikize yale yanasemekana na mtu yeyote, humpendi, unampenda (On matters of national interest, let us take a respectful approach and hear each other out, whether you like a particular person or not),” the DP added.
He further called for an equitable dialogue platform, terming all views as imperative.
”Hakuna maoni yanayozidi maoni mengine (there is no opinion that is superior to the other),” the emotional deputy head of state said.
He noted that ongoing BBI discussion should not be reserved for a particular group of people, rather, it should be opened up to all, including the common mwananchi.
Kuria was on Saturday almost driven out of the venue of a BBI rally, where ODM leader Raila Odinga was in attendance, after area governor Charity Ngilu, asserted that people who were disrespectful to President Uhuru Kenyatta were not welcome at the event.
It is only after the crowd intervened that Kuria was allowed back into the rally.