4 Reasons Why Ruto is Toxic - Yvonne Okwara [VIDEO]

A collage of Citizen TV's Yvonne Okwara and Deputy President William Ruto
A collage of Citizen TV's Yvonne Okwara and Deputy President William Ruto
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Citizen TV anchor, Yvonne Okwara, weighed in on the state of the nation, wondering why politicians had deviated their attention to Deputy President William Ruto, rather than focusing on the global pandemic, Coronavirus

On Thursday, March 12, as a panellist on News Gang, alongside Joe Ageyo, Linus Kaikai and Francis Gachuri, Okwara dubbed politicians to be Kenya's own pandemic.

She argued that she was in a dilemma on whether to speak for herself or for many Kenyans of similar minds.

Legislators at the Serena Hotel demanding for the resignation of Deputy President William Ruto on Wednesday, March 11, 2020
Legislators at the Serena Hotel demanding for the resignation of Deputy President William Ruto on Wednesday, March 11, 2020
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"Should this be my take or our collective take and submission to our fate as Kenyans? The World Health Organisation declared Coronavirus a global pandemic but our politicians, from top to bottom, carry on like they always have. It is exasperating. Our politicians are our own Kenyan pandemic. An ongoing deadly potential outbreak and this is nothing short of a curse.

"How else do we explain the mindless and senseless escalation of political activity completed with mass political press conferences on issues totally unrelated to the global crisis of a raging pandemic? When elected leaders flock into rival press conferences in numbers and manner that looks like the reenactment of the wildebeest migration in the Mara. Then for our country's sake, it has to be about 47 million Kenyans, but it was not. It was about one man, William Ruto," Okwara argued.

According to Okwara, Ruto had, in a space of a week, shifted from an alleged target of an assassination plot by the system to the subject of an impeachment motion by a section of elected leaders. 

"They taunted each other and dared each other on the future of Ruto. None of them ever thought that the pressers wouldn't be possible if the Coronavirus landed in Kenya. 

"Those two were not conferences, they were two regrettable sessions of mass political hysteria among elected leaders which blinds us from what really matters," Okwara added.

A photo of Ruto-allied lawmakers led by Meru Senator Mithika Linturi during a press briefing at Parliament Buildings on Wednesday, March 11, 2020
Ruto-allied lawmakers led by Meru Senator Mithika Linturi during a press briefing at Parliament Buildings on Wednesday, March 11, 2020
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The anchor argued that the virus could put to test Kenya's newly launched Universal Health Care program and have an impact on the economy, coupled up with the locust invasion which is a threat to the nation's food security.

"Despite these issues, the political leaders consider Ruto a much greater subject as world leaders debate on how to protect their population from the disease. We are living in the most dangerous age since independence. Should we worry more about the Coronavirus or quality of our leaders?" she posed.

Gachuri, on his part, advised the leaders to take a step back from politics and analyse the situation in the country. 

"Let them first self-quarantine, spare a day or two and think through their engagements, statements and desires and look at the promises they made to Kenyans. I then propose President Uhuru Kenyatta to converge all politicians and have Ruto address Odinga and Kenyatta square off with Ruto. 

"I am convinced that they are playing to the gallery and when they see cameras, reason somewhat escapes them. They need come up with resolves to issues affecting Kenyans," Gachuri stated. 

Lawyer Ahmednassir Abdullahi had also called on leaders to focus on the global pandemic rather than debate on issues centred around political wars. 

"Every country in the world is preparing how to counter coronavirus. Every country in the world is spending all its resources on how to address this pandemic...except Kenya, where our leaders are spending all their time/ resources on senseless political supremacy wars," the attorney tweeted on Wednesday, March 11. 

Video: Citizen TV

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