Legislators allied to the Orange Democratic Movement have warned Deputy President William Ruto against attacking Raila Odinga and interfering with party affairs.
Led by Party Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna, the MPs rebuked the DP accusing him of being against the fight against corruption. They claimed that Dr Ruto is discontented with the March 9, 2018 handshake between President Uhuru Kenyatta and Mr. Odinga.
“The handshake was supposed to calm political temperatures and deal with longstanding issues such as corruption. Now you can see that after the war on corruption has been intensified, the corrupt have chosen to politicise this war and they are making noise all over the place and looking for diversions,” said Sifuna at a press address in Nairobi on Sunday.
He added: “We don’t want to be taken back to the issues that almost split this country. The handshake happened and those still living in the past and want to drag us back into the issues of elections let them not dare ODM because we have wounds that have begun to heal and if you want us to reopen that discussion we are very ready.”
Sifuna’s remarks were echoed by Rongo MP Paul Abuor who warned that they could introduce a motion to impeach DP Ruto “if he continues being an impediment in the war against corruption.”
“If the deputy president continues being an impediment in the fight against corruption, we as leaders are going to put a motion of impeachment of the deputy president in the National Assembly and get him out of office,” said Abuor.
On Saturday, DP Ruto took issue with Raila Odinga led ODM party saying it was hiding in the handshake deal to assume to power in 2022.
“They are after tearing apart the Jubilee party and derail its development projects so that it becomes campaign bait,” Ruto said.
“They are serial liars whom Kenyans cannot believe in. Our plans on matters development will not be undermined by leaders who want to demean the Jubilee track record,” added DP Ruto.
He was speaking in West Pokot and Elgeyo Marakwet Counties during various meetings with wananchi.
Ruto added: “I know Raila Odinga, he has the tendency of breaking parties, he broke CORD, NARC, KANU, ODM and recently he disunited NASA. He is now in Jubilee to bring it down but he should be wary because we will protect our party and ensure that Kenyatta’s projects and legacy is upheld. He will not take us back to the politics of tribalism and disunity because he is known for negativity and destruction.”
