Deputy President William Ruto has assured President Uhuru Kenyatta that he will protect his wealth and that of his close family members if he wins the August 9, presidential election.
Speaking in the Kenya Kwanza coalition political rally in Murang’a on Sunday, March 20, the second in command lamented that the president wrongly judged him as someone who could not protect his interests while outside government.
However, the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) presidential flagbearer said he considers himself to be Uhuru’s best friend and that he will not betray the friendship he has cultivated with the Head of State for more than two decades.
“We have been through many challenges together including facing the International Criminal Court (ICC) cases at The Hague. We faced Raila together in 2013 and 2017. I also consider myself to be his friend,” Ruto said.
Ruto, who has bitterly fallen out with his boss, said it was the highest form of betrayal for the president to endorse ODM leader Raila Odinga’s presidential bid.
The former Eldoret North MP lamented that the head of state had used him and later dumped him for ODM leader Raila Odinga, who Uhuru has endorsed as his preferred successor.
“My greatest shock was that, even if he felt I was not fit to succeed him, certainly by settling on Odinga who had so far given us all sorts of political problems was the epitome of fine betrayal,” he said.
This comes barely a day after the deputy president appealed to President Uhuru Kenyatta not to frustrate his Stat House ambition ahead of his August 09 2022 duel with ODM leader Raila Odinga.
“Remind him that he and I knelt down to be prayed for by the clergy and his mum, Mama Ngina Kenyatta. Even if he doesn’t want to help me in my quest to become president, kindly ask him to stay out of the presidential campaigns so that I can defeat Raila Odinga,” said Ruto.