Deputy President William Ruto‘s foot soldiers have vowed not to insult Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta as they head to Central Kenya where the president repeatedly spoke negatively about Ruto.
Led by Mathira MP Rigathi Gachagua, the Kenya Kwanza alliance-leaning leaders said they will go easy on the head of state in what they say will be a change of campaign strategy even as President Uhuru’s relationship with his deputy deteriorates.
Gachagua who is being considered as the preferred running mate for William Ruto said they want to train their guns on the ODM leader Raila Odinga who is their main challenger in the August 9, elections.
He said that the president is their King adding that engaging him will make them lose focus.
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“(President) Uhuru is our leader and king. For this, we will not engage him even if he is disrespectful to us. Two wrongs don’t make a right,” Gachagua said as quoted by The Standard.
The leaders said that the new strategy is to attract sympathy votes, especially from the vote-rich Mt Kenya region ahead of the August 9, General Election where William Ruto is expected to face off with Raila Odinga, a man being supported by President Uhuru.
The leaders who include Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichungwah and Murang’a Senator Irungu Kang’ata made the remarks even as the Tanga Tanga brigade plans to take their Kenya Kwanza campaigns to Nyeri on Saturday, February 26.
This comes after some of the allies of the deputy president started responding to President Uhuru’s Sagana III meeting in which he endorsed William Ruto’s bitter rival, Raila Odinga while accusing William Ruto of many ills in government including corruption.
Led by nominated senator Millicent Omanga the allies fired salvos at the head of state accusing the Jubilee party leader of using the Sagana III meeting to malign and attack his estranged deputy William Ruto.
“So Sagana Declaration was a moment to malign, attack, and mudslide the deputy president?” she posed.
