President William Ruto on Sunday, May 28, pleaded with Busia Senator and activist Okiya Omtatah to drop his planned petition against the proposed Finance Bill 2023.
Speaking during a church service in Busia County, Ruto stated that his intentions were to help the people of Kenya and provide better opportunities for them.
According to the president, the petition would stand in the way of a good plan that will offer employment opportunities for Kenyans noting that instead, the Senator should have been supporting the proposals in the Bill.
“I want you to help me with one thing, please speak to your Senator Okiya Omtatah. Omtatah, you want to take me to court yet all I intend to do is to offer employment opportunities to these people.
“People of Busia, please speak to Omtatah to tone down on the matters of court. He has said that he is my friend and that is the truth,” Ruto pleaded.
Further, he questioned why the activist did not take the opposition leaders to court over demonstrations, and the destruction of the property of the people of Kenya matters that he noted were more disruptive to the government’s agenda to build the nation.
“The good thing about him is that he has not planned to destroy our businesses. At least he has not planned any demonstrations. There are others who are threatening me that if I don’t do what they want they will go to the streets.
“Let me ask you Okiya, those who were planning handshakes, why did not take them to court? Why do you want to take me to court and I only mean well for the people? You should have taken the other team to court because they are the ones disrupting our work,” he added.
The Senator had told the crowd earlier that Ruto had surrounded himself with individuals who were misleading him on matters concerning the proposed Finance Bill 2023.
The activist-cum-Senator stated that he had read the bill and pleaded with the president to amend it or he would move to court.
He noted that he had prepared a petition and was only waiting to address it with the President first before making the move as a sigh of respect for their friendship.
"You are my friend President Ruto but the constitution is my greater friend and the Finance bill goes against about six laws in the constitution. I am asking you to take another look at the Bill so that if we can, we avoid fighting in court. It is not okay for friends to fight.
"For example this housing levy, I was the one who had earlier petitioned it in court until it was removed, do you want me to fight it again, please make it easier to work with you Mr President. it was. I have already prepared a petition to go to court. But when I heard you were coming to Busia I did not file it last week," Omtatah stated.
On Saturday, May 27, Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale and United Democratic Alliance Secretary Cleophas Malala were booed by mourners at a funeral in Kakamega for lashing out against leaders who spoke against the Financial Bill 2023.
Khalwale could not conclude his speech as the crowd began heckling him as he tried to sell Ruto's Housing Fund to the charged crowd.
"No music, stop the music, I want to tell our people the truth," Khalwale stated as he attempted to calm the crown down without much success.
Ruto is facing defiance within the Kenya Kwanza coalition with a number of lawmakers opposing the housing levy.
