President Uhuru Kenyatta has dismissed the allegations of his deputy William Ruto that he has the conspiracy to rig presidential elections.
Through Statehouse spokesperson Kanze Dena Mararo, the head of state said he is only interested in a peaceful electioneering period.
Kanze, who spoke on Inooro FM on Friday morning, March 4, further said that the president wants to ensure a free and fair election.
“On the forthcoming elections, the President is keen on ensuring that the polls are peaceful, free, and fair as can be seen through the ongoing joint preparatory works by various government agencies,” she said.
During his United States visit on Wednesday, March 2, the deputy president told members of the international community that Kenya’s democracy was on trial and that voters may not have a chance to freely express their will at the ballot in the August 9 elections.
Speaking at Karson Institute for Race, Peace and Social Justice at Loyola University in Baltimore, Ruto without mentioning names stated that the recent move by the head of state to throw his weight behind ODM leader Raila Odinga means he could play a major role to tilt the outcome of the presidential results.
Ruto who has bitterly fallen out with his boss Raila’s presidential bid as sponsored by the State, branding him a government project.
“The biggest issue on the ballot is the democracy of our nation and whether we truly have the opportunity to make free choices devoid of blackmail, threats, and intimidation. That is a matter that is on the ballot,
“If you understand a bit of Kiswahili that’s what informs the current push by many Kenyans to say hatupangwingwi, meaning ‘we want to make our choices without being choreographed or chaperoned or blackmailed or intimidated,” Ruto said.