Opposition leader Raila Odinga last month told thousands of his supporters he does not recognize William Ruto as the country’s president.
The Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition Party leader asserted that cartels rigged the 2022 presidential election in favor of Ruto by infiltrating the Supreme Court and the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
“We cannot and will not recognize the Kenya Kwanza regime and consider its government illegitimate. We do not recognize William Ruto as the president of Kenya and we equally do not recognize any officials in the office with him,” Raila said.
However, Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua now wants Raila to acknowledge William Ruto as the validly elected President before the Kenya Kwanza can engage with the ODM party leader.
The deputy president who spoke on Sunday, April 9, challenged the former Prime Minister to publicly declare Ruto as the Head of State before any discussions on his grievances are met.
“Before we can even agree to talk to him, he must first acknowledge in public that William Ruto is the president of Kenya… How do you talk to somebody who doesn’t recognize your legitimacy? Tell your MPs, because they are elected, to talk to ours,” Gachagua said.
Gachagua maintained that Raila was nobody and that the new demands he is making are just for his own selfish gains.
“But us, we cannot talk to Raila. On what grounds? Who is he in Kenya? He is just an ordinary citizen. But if he has his own personal issues, let him come and we listen to him. But we cannot have an engagement with Raila Odinga because who is he in Kenya? He is not elected by anybody,” he added.
