As the clock ticks towards the 2022 General Election, Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta has said he will not dictate to Kenyans who they will vote for as their next president.
Speaking in a televised interview from State House Nairobi, the Head of State said his duty is to only remind Kenyans to be careful who they vote in as president in 2022.
Uhuru who is expected to retire in August 2022 advised Kenyans to vote for leaders who are willing to volunteer for the interests of Kenyans.
“It is not my duty nor my responsibility to tell Kenyans how or where they should vote but it is my duty to remind Kenyans that they need to look at who they vote for and why they are voting for that particular person,” he said.
Leaders especially those from the vote-rich Mt Kenya region have on several occasions said they will vote as they shall be directed by the President.
Uhuru who was expected to support his deputy for the top seat in 2022 appears not keen on doing so, with their relationship having hit rock bottom to the extent the president wants his deputy to resign.
In efforts geared at extinguishing William Ruto’s 2022 State House bid, Uhuru has been meeting opposition chiefs including the One Kenya Alliance, KANU, and ODM principals with speculations he wants to endorse one of them to succeed him.
In the Monday, August 23 televised interview, however, Uhuru ruled out the speculation that the meetings with several party leaders are tied to his 2022 succession plan.
“Those meetings have not been about selecting a candidate,” he said, adding that he wouldn’t want to leave anybody out.
The president said he opted to work with ODM leader Raila Odinga and the One Kenya Alliance since they have backed his unity plan.
“Like I said if we can come together and find people of common mind who can push a particular agenda. You can’t bring onboard persons who are opposed to it and who literally don’t want to see it to happen,” he said.
