Ruto, Raila in Fresh War of Words Over Cherera 4

A collage of aPresident William Ruto and Opposition leader Raila Odinga.jpg
A collage of President William Ruto and Opposition leader Raila Odinga.
William Ruto Dennis Nyambane

President William Ruto and Azimio leader Raila Odinga engaged in yet another online spat over the ouster of four Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) commissioners now known as the Cherera 4.

Ruto, on Saturday, December 3, told off Raila over his defense on his move to stage demonstrations over the commissioners drawing parallels to the late President Daniel Moi's regime

He termed the explanation as delusional, accusing the former Prime Minister of playing god yet he himself tried to subvert the will of the people

President Dr William Ruto at Joseph Kang'ethe Primary School in Kibera, Nairobi County, to witness the beginning of Day 2 of KCPE and KPSEA exams on November, 29 2022.
President Dr William Ruto at Joseph Kang'ethe Primary School in Kibera on Day 2 of KCPE and KPSEA exams on November 29, 2022.
KNEC

"Stop deluding yourself and lying. The coup to overturn the people's will using rogue commissioners failed and now, you are now threatening us with demonstrations.

"The tribunal will determine their guilt, or innocence in accordance with the rule of law," Ruto claimed.

To counter the president, Odinga unleashed a clip of the head of state in 2007 protesting to the Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK) over discrepancies in the disputed presidential election results.

In the clip, the former member of the ODM pentagon challenged the commission, then led by the late Samuel Kivuitu to explain the discrepancies between the presidential votes and other votes - the same issues raised by Raila in the 2022 election petition.

"Do not act like you have forgotten what happened (Usijifanye leo hii kwamba umesahau) when the shoe was firmly on the other foot. Let me just leave this here," he wrote.

The latest online war of words began on December 2, when the opposition chief accused Ruto of turning Kenya into a dictatorship, promising to bring him down.

He particularly hit out at the shepherd-like persona of the president and members of his government.

"I've witnessed self-proclaimed god-fearing leaders preside over the persecution, false prosecution and even murder of innocent Kenyans. I've witnessed an insecure regime run our economy to the ground," he explained.

Odinga had organised nationwide demonstrations set to start on November 30, but pushed them to December 7 to allow candidates to sit their national exams.

ODM leader Raila Odinga during a press conference on February 4, 2021 to defend Governor Simba Arati after an altercation with MP Silvanus Osoro
ODM leader Raila Odinga during a press conference on February 4, 2021 to defend Governor Simba Arati after an altercation with MP Silvanus Osoro
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