Nairobi — Azimio la Umoja - One Kenya running mate Martha Karua has termed Deputy President William Ruto a man totally unfit for leadership.
While in his tour in Nyeri County, Karua elaborated that Ruto's show of disrespect to his boss President Uhuru Kenyatta is a clear sign he is not the best man suited for the top seat in government.
"If you can't respect your own boss then how will you respect a fellow Kenyan who has no rank or authority? My people someone who has no respect leave him alone," she said.
Karua faulted the move by Ruto to openly show disrespect to President Kenyatta which has been displayed recently as the duo exchange bitter words on who is to blame for the failed delivery of Jubilee promises.
"There is no school with two headmasters and even the country can't have two presidents. When you are called Deputy, just accept it. Wait for days ahead when you have respect maybe Kenyans will uplift you then," Karua stated.
This comes a day after Ruto admitted that he sharply differed with President Uhuru Kenyatta following the nullification of the 2017 presidential poll so as to defend the hard-won victory by the Jubilee party.
Speaking during a rally in Meru on Monday, Ruto revealed that he almost slapped President Kenyatta as he was almost letting go of his presidential victory to his handshake partner Raila Odinga, which was largely propelled by his campaign wing.
He stated that he had to be firm and force the Jubilee Leader to stay put in the race after the Supreme Court nullified his presidential victory.
"Ata kama nyinyi mungekua mimi mungekubali ati Uhuru Kenyatta atuache kwa mataa na ati vile tulikuwa tumemskuma mpaka amepata kiti.Ati tuachie mzee wa Kitendawili?Kwani sisi ni wajinga? Nyinyi(Azimio) kwendeni uko," Ruto stated.
Loosely translated; "If you were me, would you have accepted that President Uhuru Kenyatta to leave us just like that and the way we had pushed him till he got the seat. So that he leaves the seat for the Kitendawili man (Odinga), we are not fools," Ruto stated.
Ruto accused the Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya coalition for drawing a wedge between him and President Kenyatta calling them hypocrites saying he is the man who ensured President Kenyatta emerged victorious in the highly contested 2017 presidential election.
"Na niambie hao watu wa kuzimia(Azimio) kwanza mimi nilifanya campaign kubwa nlikuwa naamka mapema nafanya kampeni tatu kabla Rais hajafika na kwa sababu ni rafiki yangu nlimsaidia na hakuna vile ningeacha mtu wa kitendawili amnyaganye hio kiti.Hata kama nikuskuma yeye lazima ningeskuma yeye,"he said.
Loosely translated;"I want to tell those people in Azimio that am the one who woke up early to did three campaigns for Uhuru before he even arrived because he us my friend and there is no way I could let Odinga take that sit from him. If I had to push him,I had to push him,"
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Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Alliance secretary general Junet Mohammed leaked an audio where Ruto was confessing how he almost slapped President Kenyatta in the aftermath of nullified polls after he suggested that he would throw in the towel.
Ruto despite admitting that he almost slapped his boss called the Odinga-led bandwagon as hypocrites who now pretend as President Kenyatta's political allies yet they did nothing to propel him to power.
"You people have never voted for Uhuru and you don't know what we did to propel him to presidency. Right now you are here saying what I have done or not done? You have no business giving us lectures on our relationship with President Kenyatta. Stop the hypocrisy," he stated.
In the leaked audio the United Democratic Alliance flag bearer was having a meeting with elders from Kikuyu community at his residence in Karen, Nairobi.
"So, ndiyo huyo... Oh, sasa, hii maneno, sijui nini, mimi sitaki, mimi nataki kuenda Ichaweri, sasa mimi sitaki, wacha tuachane na hii kitu." (Here is the President and he says he is not keen on participating in the repeat presidential election and that he wants to go to Ichaweri (his home village in Kiambu County), that we should abandon this thing," Ruto is heard saying.
"Mimi nikamwangalia, nikamwambia 'wewe'! Ni vile tu nilikua na heshima, ningemchapa kofi. Ati sisi tuache?" (I looked at him and told him 'you!' It's only that I was being respectful, I would have slapped him. How could we just quit?)
