Sunday, June 12, 2016
Deputy President (DP) William Ruto on Saturday led Jubilee MPs in demanding that Cord stops weekly protests against the electoral commission as they were hurting the economy.
He further told the Opposition to be sincere about what it wanted.
Speaking in Murathankari in Meru where he presided over a harambee before joining President Uhuru Kenyatta on his tour of Ukambani, Mr Ruto said that apart from causing deaths and destruction, the demos are scaring away tourists.
He likened the effects of the demos to al-Shabaab attacks.
“There is no difference between the deaths and destruction of property caused by the protests and terrorism,” Mr Ruto said, adding that the country was losing billions of shillings due to the disruptions.
He added: “Just like the al-Shabaab, the Cord protests affect the economy”.
He said Cord leaders should be responsible and call off the protests instead of increasing them to twice a week.
“It is as if the deaths, chaos and damage they have caused are not enough,” he said.
The DP was concerned that despite the government agreeing to Cord’s calls for dialogue on the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, the Opposition had come up with new conditions.
He was referring to Cord leader Raila Odinga’s new demand that the talks also cover issues of security.
Cord also wants the National Assembly and the Senate Speakers to play no role in the talks.
They also want the discussions to be spearheaded by a lean team of 14 members instead of 22, not to be undertaken within the Standing Orders and the final report not to be subjected to amendments by Parliament.
But on Saturday, Mr Ruto, who was accompanied by Cabinet Secretaries Jacob Kaimenyi, Joe Mucheru and Judi Wakhungu, said the talks must be done in conformity with the Constitution.
“Jubilee has agreed to dialogue as per what the Opposition wanted. They said they want to talk about IEBC and we are ready. We are now surprised they don’t want to talk about IEBC and are instead giving conditions and asking questions,” Mr Ruto said.
He continued: “If there are other things they want they should say. What is the problem?”
Mr Murungi, who was appointed to lead the Jubilee team in IEBC talks, said he was ready to meet the Cord team from Monday.
“We are ready to meet Cord whenever they are ready,” he said.
He said although he was teargassed with now Cord leaders James Orengo and Anyang’ Nyong’o in previous pushes for change in the country, “things have changed”.
Others who criticised Cord’s protests and new conditions on reforming the electoral commission were MPs Florence Kajuju, Moses Kuria, Muthomi Njuki, Joseph M’Eruaki, Mpuru Aburi and Kubai Kiringo.
The MPs told Cord to stop the street protests and instead take their push for changes to “the bush” as they were hurting the economy.
Mr Murungi led the MPs in declaring their support for Mr Ruto’s bid to vie for the Presidency in 2022.
Meru MPs who attended the event also declared their support for Mr Murungi to be governor.
Meru Lands Executive Martin Bikuri was booed by a section of the crowd when he called for Governor Peter Munya’s re-election and dismissed local leaders coalescing around the DP as “political tourists”.
Mr Munya did not attend the event in his rival, Mr Murungi’s Imenti base, and instead attended another fundraiser in Urru Stadium, Tigania West, where the DP was also slated to be chief guest but instead sent CS Mucheru.
Tigania West MP David Karithi said Mr Munya, who has expressed interest in the presidency in 2022, should shelve the plan and be Mr Ruto’s running mate, an assertion that was also dismissed by the other MPs.
“I have no doubt DP Ruto will clinch the presidency in 2022. What we are only asking is for the DP to allocate a powerful position like Finance to Meru when he becomes President to help our people,” Mr Murungi said.
He added that he resolved to dissolve the Alliance Party of Kenya and work with Jubilee administration so that locals could enjoy more government goodies. He said APK time was over “as we are in government now”.
Mr Murungi promised a free and fair JP nominations.
Seeking locals support Mr Ruto said unlike Cord, Jubilee knew its candidate for next year’s polls and that the difference between the two coalitions was like day and night.
Mr Ruto said seven parties had agreed to fold up and join the envisaged Jubilee Party which he said is aimed at uniting the country.
He also spelt out projects initiated by the government.