NAIROBI, Kenya Dec 13 – Deputy President William Ruto dropped his Kazi ni Kazi campaign slogan in his Jamhuri Day celebrations speech, in what caught many by surprise.
Ruto is popularising the slogan through his United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party as he positions himself for the political battle ahead in his quest to succeed his boss, President Uhuru Kenyatta who is serving his second and final term ending August 2022.
“Let’s create an equal society where every citizen can sing the national anthem. Kila siku tuwe na shukrani tukijua kuwa kazi ni kazi (Every day let’s have thanksgiving knowing that work is work,” Ruto said in his short remarks when he was called to invite the president to make the official address.
United as a country, he said, “this celebration gives us as a nation the opportunity to reflect about our past individual and collectively build and secure institutions of governance of economic, social and political institutions that will secure our past and our present and guarantee our future as a democratic society.”
Ruto sees Opposition chief Raila Odinga of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), who has rebranded himself under the Azimio La Umoja peace initiative, as his main competitor in the race to State House.
On Sunday, Ruto said there was a scheme to only target his allies in the war against corruption.
In a coded message, Ruto stated that the institutions built in the country must ensure they create an equal society.
“As we focus on the future ensuring that the institutions, we built can guarantee our past, present and future and equally patronage and who you know will not determine how you succeed in our country,” said Ruto during the 58th Jamhuri Day Celebrations at Uhuru Gardens.
Even though he did not name the institutions he was referring to, the Deputy President has openly criticised the Police, Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and other justice system institutions for targetting him and his allies.
His sentiments appeared to reiterate the message by a section of leaders allied to him who have accused the government of weaponizing the criminal justice system to drive the 2022 succession politics.
Previously, they have said that the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) had been turned into Opposition leader Raila Odinga’s campaign machinery.
Several politicians allied to the DP are under investigation or are facing corruption and other criminal-related charges.
