ODM leader Raila Odinga has piled pressure on Deputy President William Ruto to resign on moral grounds just like his father Jaramogi Oginga Odinga did when he felt locked out of government business by President Uhuru’s father, Jomo Kenyatta.
In his address to Mt Kenya people on Friday, August 27, the former Prime Minister termed Ruto a ‘ghost worker’ who is currently earning a salary from taxpayers’ money without doing work he is required to.
“When my father was a vice president, he resigned saying he could not receive a salary without working for it… If a person has principles, then he (William Ruto) should resign. Resign like the constitution dictates otherwise you are being a hypocrite,” he said.
On April 14, 1966, the then Vice president Jaramogi Oginga Odinga formally tendered his resignation as a VP.
In his letter, Raila’s father described himself as ‘an unwanted person’ by his colleagues and saw it fit to no longer be part of the government he described as being ruled by underground masters serving foreign interests and who had chosen to ignore the voice of the people.
Three weeks ago, the deputy president in a televised interview said he was only a proper deputy to President Uhuru during the first term of the Jubilee government.
He said after the famous 2018 handshake between President Uhuru and opposition leader Raila Odinga, he was technically stripped of his duties and roles which were assigned to other unmentioned people.
Ruto’s comments were echoed by Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen who said Ruto should not be blamed for the failures of the Jubilee government especially in the second term.
The legislator said Ruto is only holding the office by name, but the real man who calls shots is Raila Odinga.
“Can you blame William Ruto for what happened for the last four years? He is not part of this administration.
He’s there de facto, but the real Deputy President is Raila Odinga,” Kipchumba Murkomen said in the August 2nd interview.
Ruto’s complaints have attracted criticism from allies of Raila Odinga and President Uhuru who have asked him to resign if he feels locked out of government.
President Uhuru recently challenged Ruto to resign if he was unhappy with the way the government was being run instead of complaining from within.
The next day, Ruto responded saying he will not retreat nor surrender, meaning he is not ready to step down from his role as deputy president despite the frustrations he is subjected to.
Article 149 of the Constitution of Kenya gives guidelines on what happens when a vacancy arises in the office of the Deputy President.
