Outgoing Makueni Governor Kivutha Kibwana has agreed to work with President-elect William Ruto as he battles at the Supreme Court to defend his presidential election victory.
Kibwana, officially joined William Ruto’s camp on Tuesday, August 23, and held a meeting with President-elect at his Karen residence.
“We associate with the leadership that Kivutha Kibwana has manifested in agreeing to work with us in furthering our country’s development agenda,” William Ruto said.
In a statement, the President-elect said that Kibwana will be joining the Kenya Kwanza Alliance legal team as they seek to defend the victory of William Ruto and Rigathi Gachagua as the President and Deputy President-elect respectively.
“The Makueni Governor will join the Kenya Kwanza legal team in the ongoing presidential election petition,” William Ruto said in a Tweet.
His move to join Kenya Kwanza’s legal team comes just days after Kibwana said that the Azimioa La Umoja-One Kenya Alliance coalition party’s legal team must consider several factors if it has to convince the Supreme Court judges to either nullify the election, order a recount or rule in its favor.
The outgoing governor says Raila Odinga must ensure that he has sufficient legal and factual grounds to warrant the petition against William Ruto.
Since he was declared the fifth President-elect on Monday, August 15, William Ruto has embarked on a charm offensive targeting leaders formerly allied to the Azimio La Umoja One Kenya coalition party, as well as independent politicians.
The onslaught, in the face of an impending presidential election petition, is seen as a double-pronged scheme by Ruto to control Parliament and cobble together a formidable team in readiness for a possible repeat presidential election.
Speaking at KICC on Monday, August 22, after challenging Ruto’s victory at Supreme Court, Raila said cartels have resorted to buying elected leaders, a move he would take the country back into days of one-party rule.
“These forces are killing democracy and returning Kenya to one-party democracy. They have speedily moved to buy elected leaders from other parties to kill democracy,” he stated.
