Ruto warns Raila in Central visit

By GEORGE MUNENE

Deputy President William Ruto Thursday made a triumphant entry into Nyeri, the heartland of Central Kenya, with a warning to Cord leader Raila Odinga.

Mr Ruto, who was received enthusiastically in the town and in various stopovers on the Nairobi-Nyeri Highway, was scheduled to be on his fourth day at the International Criminal Court, but failure of witnesses to appear on time pushed the trial to Tuesday.

The Nyeri visit and reception heightened the irony that Mr Ruto is charged with murder, torture and displacement of populations mostly from Central Kenya who supported former president Mwai Kibaki in the 2007 election.

Mr Ruto then supported Mr Odinga while President Kenyatta cast his lots with Mr Kibaki.

The president and his deputy, who joined forces ahead of the last election and emerged victorious, have been keen to demonstrate that there is reconciliation in the country, especially between the Kikuyu and the Kalenjin-the chief protagonists of the post-poll violence which killed 1,300 people and displaced about 500,000 others.

Last Saturday, the two leaders closed the remaining Internally Displaced Persons camps, ahead of the commencement of Mr Ruto’s trial and that of radio personality Joshua Sang, sending off every household with Sh400,000 for resettlement.

Yesterday, Mr Ruto urged Kenyans to continue praying for him and President Kenyatta whose own trial at the court begins in November.

“I know you have been seeking divine intervention but I urge you not to give up,” he said at Sagana, on his way to Nyeri where he opened the Central Kenya ASK show.

Without elaborating, Mr Ruto said Kenyans will be surprised over what will transpire in ICC when the cases properly start. “Mtashangaa na ile maneno itakuwa huko Hague” (You will be surprised by what will transpire at The Hague).

Apparently responding to fears expressed by some that his trial and that of the president could relegate fulfilment of campaign pledges to the back banner, Mr Ruto sought to assure Kenyans that the ICC trials “will not compromise our promise to deliver economic growth.”

He at the same time dismissed calls for a referendum saying the elections were over and that it was now time for politicians to deliver their promises to the people of Kenya.

Thousands of residents followed his motorcade cheering and gathered whenever he stopped to see and listen to him.

He was welcomed by leaders and the residents led by Nyeri county governor Nderitu Gachagua and his Kirinyaga counterpart Joseph Ndathi.

VOTE PUSH

“We are behind you and there is no cause for alarm. We have even stopped pushing for a referendum to change the Constitution,” Mr Ndathi told the Deputy President.

Mr Ruto hit at his former ally-turned-foe Mr Odinga warning that his call for a referendum was an attempt at sneaking to power after he lost in the March poll “yet voters know the candidates who are best suited to lead the country.”

“If he wants power he should talk to the voters. He wants to try another way of ascending to power because we defeated him,” he said.

Mr Ruto exuded confidence that the Jubilee coalition would win another election by popular vote adding that the former PM was seeking the parliamentary system where a few people would elect the president.

“Will we keep on going from an election to a referendum every time? Is that the only thing we will keep on doing?” he posed, amid chants of “no.”

“ Cord wants the parliamentary system of election after losing. They think that this is an easy way of taking over power because the President will be elected by a handful of people. I want to tell you that even if the Constitution is changed a hundred times, they will not defeat us in any election,” he said as the crowd burst in laughter.

He said the government would construct a fertiliser manufacturing plant in the next three years and also improve electricity power supply by constructing and increasing power production in the next four years.

He said the project would make available affordable fertilisers for all farmers which will boost food security and combat poverty.

“Farmers will be able to sell their produce and uplift their living standards,” he said adding that the cost of production had gone up because farm inputs were expensive.

He praised the Uwezo Fund recently launched by President Kenyatta saying it would empower youth who had been suffering due to lack of employment.

Mr Ruto said the Uwezo Fund would help the youths to access soft loans without securities and start small income generating enterprises.

The loans, he noted would empower the youth financially and help them become self-sufficient