Roads minister Franklin Bett yesterday asked Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta and Eldoret North MP William Ruto not to seek the presidency in the coming general election.
"They instead concentrate their energies to clearing themselves from the pending cases at the International Criminal Court at The Hague," said the minister.
He said while he respects the democratic rights of the two and their innocence on post-election violence that rocked the country in 2007/2008 resulting to deaths and destruction of property, the international community is focusing its attention on how Kenyans will vote. "If I was to advise my dear brothers William Ruto and Uhuru Kenyatta on how to go about the ICC case at hand, I would ask them to suspend their quest for the presidency till 2017 when they will have cleared themselves instead of complicating their case by vying for the top seat hence sending wrong signals to the international community," said Bett.
He made the remarks at King'wal African Inland Church in Nandi Central at the weekend during a fund-raising for a cleric going for further studies in Australia. The minister sharply differed with the Orange Democratic Movement chairman Henry Kosgey campaigns to be the party's presidential running mate, saying North Rift does not deserve more political positions.
The minister, who is the MP for Bureti constituency, said Kosgey's campaigns to be Prime Minister Raila Odinga's running mate "is part of a wider scheme to short-change members of the Kipsigis community who got a raw deal from the party". "These are schemes meant to abort my plans of becoming the next deputy president under the ODM government of Raila Amollo Odinga, and I wonder why North Rift leaders are not satisfied with the positions they have," said Bett. "Three Cabinet slots in ODM were handed to this region apart from the party chairmanship. This time round, they already have a presidential candidate (William Ruto) and if South Rift is asking ODM to give it the slot of deputy president, why should they also demand the same post? This is mischief," he said.
Bett who came out in the open to fight back declared that all Kalenjins must have level playing ground and that members of the Kipsigis community were now suspicious on the reasons behind frequent short changings by their colleague from the North. Accompanied by Ronald Ng'eny, the ODM nominee who was rejected by parliament to the East African Legislative Assembly, the minister charged that it was unfortunate that even a section of MP's from rift valley and those allied to United Democratic Forum did not vote for him.
"I am still challenging Ruto (Eldoret North MP) since he has declared to be the Kalenjin leader to convene a meeting for all leaders to find way forward for the community that should include Former president Daniel Moi, Nicholas Biwott and even Mzee Barng'etuny so that we can forgive one another otherwise we will mark time till Jesus comes." The minister said.
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