Uhuru defends Raila, tells off Ruto allies over graft war

President Uhuru Kenyatta on Friday told off Jubilee politicians who are against the truce between him and ODM leader Raila Odinga.

Without naming names, Uhuru seemed to be directing his remarks at Deputy President William Ruto and his allies who accuse the former Prime Minister of having a sinister motive to destroy Jubilee Party.

Ruto has been accusing the ODM leader of using the war against corruption to destroy Jubilee.

The DP’s sustained attacks followed Raila’s remarks that Ruto should allow DCI George Kinoti to complete his investigations instead of claiming that only Sh7 billion was in dispute in connection with two dams in Elgeyo Marakwet.

Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen has also been on Raila’s case, claiming that the former Lang’ata MP should be arrested and charged with treason for swearing himself as the people’s president last year.

Ruto and his supporters have also dismissed the war on corruption as lacking integrity and targeting the DP.

President Kenyatta, who spoke at State House, Nairobi, as he received Africa Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) Country Review Report, warned against politicising the war on graft, saying investigative agencies should be left to do their work.

“It is not me …corruption has been identified as a stumbling block… again there is no politics there… let us allow the agencies to do their work… let us not turn this to community fights, into individual fights.

“You will hear that so and so is being targeted.. .we must deal with corruption and the fact is that whether we want to accept it or not it exists… why don’t we fix it instead of politicking? Jameni … ,” he said.

Uhuru said he does not want the war on corruption to be used to victimise anybody but to benefit the people of Kenya.

“Let us come together…. please let this be an agenda that we move away from in weddings and funerals… the answer is on us talking to one another.

The President, who entered into the peace deal famously referred to as handshake in March 2018, said he will continue spearheading efforts to unite all Kenyans, adding that the aim of his call for a united country is not political.

“When we say we want to be committed to bringing Kenyans together this is not a political agenda. There is no political intention of hurting this person or fighting this person,” the President stated.

In defending Raila, Uhuru noted that there were people who did not vote for him but they needed to be served since it is their right.

“There is a big chunk of voters from the other side that did not vote for me but I got to work with them … where are they going? When I am told to let those people go, I ask them where they are going. They must be served and addressed. How do you do it without talking?” he posed.

National Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich and Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya also spoke.

CS Rotich, whose ministry is the focal point for the APRM process in Kenya, called on all government agencies to support the peer review activities.

Governor Oparanya, who is the chairman of the Council of Governors, said county governments are ready to embrace the peer review mechanism once its modalities are established.

The Chief Executive Officer of APRM Pof Al-Amin Abu-Manga reiterated Kenya’s willingness to continue being subjected to the peer review mechanism and the achievements it has recorded over the years.

–the-star.co.ke