ODM Leader Raila Odinga has distanced himself from Jubilee Party woes that have been blamed for the frosty relationship between President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Deputy President William Ruto.
The former Prime Minister told off Dr Ruto for associating him with the challenges bedeviling the ruling party and opposing his famous Handshake with President Kenyatta that he said had brought peace in the country.
“I am not to blame for the infighting in the Jubilee government. I do not attend cabinet meetings and do not have a government office. I am not a Jubilee member but ODM party leader,” said Mr Odinga.
“I do not want to poke into their issues. Let them (Ruto and Uhuru) solve out their differences as political partners,” he added.
The ODM leader took a swipe at the State for not delivering its pre-election promises citing the undelivered laptop program, 1 million jobs for the youths and state-of-the-art modern stadiums in all the 47 counties.
During an interview on Kameme TV, Mr Odinga said it was unfortunate that the rate of unemployment was three times higher than at the time when Dr Ruto and his Handshake partner took power.
Mr Odinga said it was funny that the Deputy President who called him an analog leader in 2013, was providing youths with carts (Mkokoteni) and wheelbarrow instead of providing them with jobs.
Dr Ruto told Mr Odinga to channel his complaints to the President, who is his friend, directly and warned him against embarrassing the Head of State in public.
“Let them explain to Kenyans if I am the one who has prevented them from delivering their promises for the last eight years,” the former Prime Minister said.
No tangible development
The leader said Jubilee Party inherited most of the projects they are boasting of from him, while as Prime Minister, and former President Mwai Kibaki during the coalition government.
The projects include among others Thika Superhighway, Lapsset, Standard Gauge Railway and Konsa City.
Mr Odinga hit out at DP Ruto for misleading Kenyans with the Hustler versus Dynasty narrative saying one with wealth like him (fleet of cars, choppers and classy life) could not call himself a Hustler.
He said past Presidents Jomo Kenyatta, Daniel Moi, Mwai Kibaki and Uhuru Kenyatta all had humble beginnings and that pioneer Head of State served as an inmate, late Moi was a teacher, Kibaki was a tout and that Uhuru used to sell french beans.
Support BBI
The ODM leader hailed the Building Bridges Initiative report saying it was the panacea to the challenges the country was facing and rallied Kenyans to support it.
On the constitutional amendments leading to the bloated wage bill due to the creation of more seats, Mr Odinga said they were only reorganizing the government saying Cabinet Secretaries will be from Parliament and Prime Minister will be an MP.
He hit out at the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission over delay in verification of BBI signatures saying earlier similar exercise on Punguza Mizigo took a shorter time.
“Summarized copies of the report are being printed. The report is divided into three; published reports by commissions, amendments that need legislative action at national and county level and those that want law changed which will be taken to Kenyans,” he reported.
He accused DP Ruto of lacking a clear agenda for Kenyans and called for policy based politics and not deceptive ones.
On whether he will try his luck for fifth time in 2022 presidential elections, Mr Odinga said he was now focused on unifying the country and selling out BBI to Kenyans.
