Deputy President William Ruto on Sunday directed acting Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i not to relent on the handling of anti-IEBC demonstrators.
Speaking in Nyahururu during a Jubilee Party rally, DP Ruto asked Matiang'i to stand firm in ensuring that any person who breaks the law in the pretext of demonstrating is dealt with according to the law.
The Deputy President accused Opposition leader Raila Odinga of creating a crisis to get into State House.
“We want to tell him that even if he moves from London, Paris or Washington, he should forget the Government of nusu mkate (coalition government),” Ruto stated.
[caption caption="File image of DP William Ruto and CS Fred Matiang'i"]
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He noted that Kenyans will move on with the October 26 election as stipulated in the Constitution adding that no amount of intimidation will stop Kenyans from participating in the poll ordered by the Supreme Court.
“Mr Odinga has no choice but to follow the Constitution. We are all equal before the law and we must abide by it,” he explained.
The DP emphasised that President Uhuru Kenyatta won the August 8 elections by more than 1.4 million votes adding that the decision of the Kenyan people would be reaffirmed on October 26.
“We, the Kenyan people, have to send Mr Odinga home on permanent retirement. It is your votes for Uhuru Kenyatta that will do so.
“It is Raila that went to court to ask that the elections be repeated. It cannot be that he now does not want. Or he wants short-cuts. That no one knows whether he is in the elections or not. That is not the direction our country wishes to take.
“We are ready. Leave your conditions. Leave your demonstrations. We are all under the law. It is not an option for anyone to respect the Constitution. The Constitution says there must be an election supervised by the IEBC,” Ruto stated.
President Kenyatta, on his part, stated that it was not for Mr Odinga or any other individual to decide when elections would be held, and no demonstrations or conditions would lead to a result other than elections.
[caption caption="President Uhuru Kenyatta and DP William Ruto addressing Karatina residents on Sunday"]
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Central Kenya leaders also urged the President to quickly sign electoral amendment laws waiting on his desk, so that there is clarity ahead of the elections, and no one will cite a lacuna in interpreting the law in future.
Murang'a Senator Irungu Kangata divulged that Opposition leaders were not interested in elections because they have already sensed defeat.
“Those in Opposition are just interested in nusu mkate government because they have already sensed defeat and will not want to be humiliated at the ballot come October 26,” stated Mr Kangata.
