National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi has finally revealed why he didn’t join the Azimio-OKA coalition ahead of August polls.
Speaking in Kamwimbi, Chuka/Igambang’ombe constituency in Tharaka Nithi County on Saturday, the speaker said President Kenyatta had pushed him to join Azimio la Umoja but he declined because during the 2013 and 2017 elections they had agreed that it is Ruto who will take over the presidency from him.
He said it was President Kenyatta himself who told Mt Kenya region that Mr Odinga was not the right person to lead Kenya and that he (Kenyatta) should stop confusing the people by asking them to vote for the Azimio leader.
He said DP Ruto is the right person to take over the leadership from President Kenyatta and asked Kenyans to vote him in.
He dismissed claims by some of his party leaders that it was not the decision of DP to join Kenya Kwanza.
Chuka/Igambang’ombe MP Patrick Munene asked DP Ruto to pick Speaker Muturi as his running mate in the August polls.
He said having served as the National Assembly Speaker for ten years, Mr Muturi has enough experience and knowledge to deputise Dr Ruto and that he has friends from across the country.
He defended Deputy President William Ruto on claims that he was involved in the 2007/2008 post-election violence in Mt Kenya region.
He faulted a section of Mt Kenya politicians allied to Azimio la Umoja “for spreading the false accusations” in order to incite the residents against DP Ruto ahead of the August 9 elections.
He said it was wrong to arraign President Uhuru Kenyatta and the DP at the International Criminal Court instead of the late former President Mwai Kibaki and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga who were the contestants in the disputed presidential elections.
The Democratic Party leader, who joined Kenya Kwanza Alliance recently, said when DP Ruto campaigned with President Kenyatta in the 2013 and 2017 General Elections, the Mt Kenya leaders who are now speaking of the post-election violence never complained.
“We cannot start accusing DP Ruto of planning violence in Mt Kenya region during the 2007/2008 post-election skirmishes while we never spoke when he joined hands with Uhuru in 2013 and 2017 elections,” said Mr Muturi.
