President Uhuru Kenyatta has taken a swipe at politicians from Central Kenya who appear to have already kicked off campaigns to deputise his deputy William Ruto.
The President told the politicians to concentrate on service delivery to the public as Jubilee knows how it will play its 2022 campaigns.
He was speaking during stopovers at Kenol, Witeithie and Githurai on his way back to Nairobi after attending a funeral service for the late Kenneth Matiba.
“And these leaders, I have to tell them. They think they are propping up themselves by always speaking about 2022. Let us work first. You think being the loudest will make you the Deputy President? You will be the last one,” Uhuru said in a mix of Kikuyu and Swahili.
He added; “Our focus right now is delivering development in this country and the country is united. We know that the elections will be in 2022 and we have our game plan.”
A number of leaders from the region have been accompanying Ruto to functions and using the platforms to campaign for the DP, four years to the elections.
Jubilee has a plan that once Uhuru completes his second term, Ruto will be the Jubilee candidate at the 2022Â presidential election.
During the 2017 campaigns, Uhuru publicly endorsed Ruto as his successor as he asked those in the opposition to let him finish his work and face off with his DP in 2022.
There has however been a silent campaign Uhuru’s Mt Kenya backyard where some politicians have launched plans to undermine Ruto’s ambitions.
Some have been supporting proposals by the opposition to amend the Constitution to balance the power of the Presidency by the introduction of the Prime Minister.
This has been seen by Ruto’s supporters as a plan to scuttle his 2022 bid.
Ruto, on the other hand, has been reaching out to other regions outside Mt. Kenya as he prepares to run for the Presidency.
At Matiba’s burial, Uhuru told those who were planning for 2022 to get serious or changes to the Constitution and focus on service delivery.
“Even if we write how many agreements, change the Constitution today, tomorrow or the next day, if we are not focused on delivery we will achieve nothing,” Uhuru said.
He added: “As Raila has said there will be elections in 2022, 2027 and up to 3000. Let us leave these politics aside and focus on what matters most for Kenyans and we would have helped realize the dream for the future generations.”
