President William Ruto has responded to opposition leaders who attended the launch of Martha Karua’s People’s Liberation Party (PLP) in Meru County, accusing them of using the event as a platform to make negative remarks about him.
Speaking in Taita Taveta County on Friday, February 28, Ruto criticized the opposition for allegedly shifting their focus from discussing their political agenda to attacking his administration.
Ruto took aim at Karua, former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, and Kalonzo Musyoka who were all present at the party launch questioning their intentions.
He accused them of spending excessive time criticizing him instead of concentrating on the real purpose of their meeting, which should have been about presenting their political agenda.
“I saw some people trying to launch a political party yesterday. They spoke for four hours about William Ruto. I just want to ask was the party being created for Ruto, or is it called the Ruto Party?” Ruto remarked.
“Their agenda and manifesto are just about Ruto. I want to tell them that I did not send them to talk about me. Look for a party, give us a name, and present a manifesto,” he added.
The President also accused the opposition leaders of fueling tribalism rather than addressing the pressing issues facing Kenyans.
He warned that unless they refocused on meaningful discussions about development and the welfare of the people, they would fail politically.
“The price of tribalism has gone down; they should not try to sell it to us. I urge them to focus on matters that truly matter, including their plan for Kenyans,” Ruto stated.
Ruto’s remarks followed comments made by Gachagua at the PLP launch, where the former Deputy President criticized the president for what he called a culture of dishonesty.
Speaking at the event on Thursday, February 27, Gachagua accused Ruto of deceiving both the elite and ordinary citizens, including the clergy, who he claimed had collectively endorsed Ruto’s presidential bid in 2022.
Gachagua also alleged that Ruto had caused significant damage to Kenya’s education and healthcare systems in just two years and had made the cost of living unaffordable for many Kenyans.
“Ever since I was born, I have never seen a liar like Ruto. This man looks you straight in the eye and lies without hesitation,” Gachagua said.
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