President Uhuru Kenyatta on Saturday refuted claims that he would take over as Prime Minister in 2022 after Tiaty MP William Kamket tabled a bill seeking the creating of the position.
Speaking in Machakos at the burial of the Raphael Waita, the father of State House Chief of Staff Nzioka Waita, the president affirmed that he was focussed on serving his two terms and thereafter handing over the nation's top seat.
“The time of politics is over, now what remains is to implement development projects in every corner of the country. Those interested in 2022 seats will battle it out among themselves, I will be at home,” he stated.
He further urged Kenyans to follow the example set by the older generation of leaders who had a sense of nationhood, patriotism and high integrity in steering the country and setting a strong development foundation.
[caption caption="Uhuru Speaking in Machakos"]
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Describing the late Waita, the President stated: “We have all heard about his life, we also need to emulate him. If we follow in his footsteps then I assure you we can achieve much more development as a country."
He added that Mzee Waita did not look at tribe when marrying, like many others of his generation he transcended the cultural and ethnic barriers of their time and built strong bonds among different communities.
“All of us have heard what was said of him while in America, he was not a tribalist when he saw a beautiful lady whom he could share his life with, he didn’t want to hear anything else. They married and lived in love raising a great family and lived together harmoniously. This is the Kenya we want,” Uhuru explained.
He paid a glowing tribute to Mzee Waita whose values and ethos of hard work, he noted, were reflected by his children serving in various capacities both in public and private sectors.
“Although I didn’t know him personally, I have seen these virtues in his son whom I work with. All these issues they have talked about Mzee here, his integrity, respect for people, his discipline I can say without a doubt, all that is true in the life of Nzioka,” said President Kenyatta.
[caption caption="President Uhuru Kenyatta with Nzioka Waita"]
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Earlier on Saturday, Deputy President William Ruto termed the bill by Kamket a waste of precious time that should be used in development.
Speaking in Bomet County, he warned that leaders should shun politics and direct the energy on service delivery.
“Leaders, especially those elected in Jubilee Party, should know that we have a manifesto that needs to be implemented as we promised the people during the last campaigns. This is why we have no room for politics as we must deliver on our agenda,” he stated.
The DP further pointed out that leaders must demonstrate their commitment to the government's four-point agenda on food security, affordable housing, access to healthcare and manufacturing.
