BUSIA/KAKAMEGA, Kenya Jan 30 – DPPSDeputy President William Ruto has urged leaders to tolerate and embrace divergent views for the sake of peace and development as the dabate on the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) and 2022 succession politics intensify.
Ruto has openly differed with his boss President Uhuru Kenyatta who, together with former Prime Minister Raila Odinga is championing for the BBI report in what Ruto and his allies see as a ploy to limit his chances in the race to succeed Kenyatta whose second and final term ends in 2022.
“As leaders, we should embrace divergent views, peace and respect for each other,” said Ruto in Funyula on Saturday. He also made similar remarks in tours of Khwisero and Matungu Constituencies in Busia and Kakamega Counties.
He spoke on the day President Kenyatta convened a meeting of more than 5,000 Mount Kenya leaders at the Sagana State Lodge, where he told them to “ignore outsiders out to divide our region.”
These remarks were seen to target his Deputy who has lately made advances in the region, winning the support of some 41 MPs who stayed away from the meeting.
Kenyatta is in Central Kenya for a four-day tour in which he will meet political leaders, women, youth, church leaders, the business community among others as he seeks to consolidate his base in succession politics.
In recent weeks, leaders from across the major political parties like Amani National Congress Leader Musalia Mudavadi, KANU’s Gideon Moi, Ford Kenya’s Moses Wetangula, Wiper’s Kalonzo Musyoka among others have intensified a campaign against Ruto,urging Kenyans to ignore his hustler nation narrative which they termed as divisive.
But on Saturday, Ruto urged Kenyans to reject politicians who want to drag the country through divisive and tribal politics.
He said Kenyans are now keen on leaders focused on development agenda but not those bent on rhetoric. “It’s time, we elect leaders based on development programmes and not because of their tribes.”
The Deputy President said the country could only sustain its growth through constructive politics devoid of divisions and incitements.
In reference to the BBI Bill, Ruto said power was not about sharing positions among the elite but rather it’s about implementing policies and programmes aimed at creating wealth to be shared among the people, who are the majority.
He said BBI should not be focused more on the creation of positions for few individuals but address the issues affecting ordinary citizens.
“As we push for the creation of positions for few individuals at the top, we should also address the empowerment of majority of Kenyans at the bottom. This is why we want to embrace the bottom-up approach on matters of economic empowerment,” he said.
At the Sagana meeting, Kenyatta told residents of Mt Kenya not to be misled by “outsiders” in apparent reference to Ruto’s adventures, while dismissing his hustler-dynasty narrative as a selfish agenda.
Ruto is campaigning on the platform of empowering the less priviledged people in the society, while assuring the youth that he holds the key to their future.
“I plead with you not to believe in those lies peddled by people calling themselves hustlers,” the President said.
