Politician Jimi Wanjigi has said Deputy President William Ruto cannot distance himself from the economic hardships facing the country, claiming he was privy to a power sharing deal that handed the DP the finance docket in 2013.
Mr Wanjigi said the agreement between President Uhuru Kenyatta and the DP in 2013 put Dr Ruto in charge of the docket that influences the country’s economic policies in Jubilee first term and hence the DP lacked the credibility to prescribe economic models to improve the economy.
He claimed that he is in possession of the original copy of the MoU signed between the President and his deputy in the first five years of their administration where government positions were split into two with President Kenyatta mainly taking the security docket while Dr Ruto was handed the finance docket.
“Uhuruto have ruined the economy because there is pain in every household…in the 2013 arrangement, Ruto took Finance docket and with the economy in the ICU (Intensive Care Unit) what credibility does he have to tell us about economic models for 2022?” Mr Wanjigi posed about the economic woes facing the country with a runaway debt that has squeezed development finances.
He challenged the President and Dr Ruto to allow him make the document public for Kenyans to judge for themselves who was on the wrong. He said Dr Ruto did not have the moral authority to talk about economic models that would revive the economy yet he had failed to deliver for the nine years he has been in government.
Mr Wanjigi was speaking in an interview with Weru TV, a Kimeru station based in Meru town. The interview was conducted in Nairobi and was expected to be aired yesterday (Sunday) at 8.pm.
Mr Wanjigi, who has is seeking the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) presidential nomination, said the DP and ODM leader Raila Odinga do not have the capacity to transform the country economically.
On Mr Odinga, Mr Wanjigi said his role in leadership ended with fighting for the country’s second liberation in the clamour for multi-party democracy, and dismissed his capability to steer the country in what he referred to as the economic liberation starting 2022.
Mt Kenya Foundation interviews
Although he hailed Mr Odinga’s Handshake with Mr Kenyatta as having brought about peace in the country, Mr Wanjigi said Mr Odinga betrayed ODM by “going back to the pharaoh” and “abandoning them by river Jordan.”
“Raila is like Moses who never reached Canaan. Actually Raila went back to Pharaoh. I view myself as a Joshua and I’m seeking a Caleb so that together we can get the people to Canaan. I respect him but this is not his season. It’s a season for warriors who can deliver an economic revolution,” he said. Mr Wanjigi, has vowed to contest for the ODM nominations with Mr Odinga.
He also lashed out at the Mt Kenya Foundation that he said was “conducting interviews” for presidential candidates, and wondered who they were representing and what role they were playing in the Kenyan politics.
The MKF has held talks with Mr Odinga and last week invited One Kenya Alliance leaders Musalia Mudavadi, Kalonzo Musyoka, Gideon Moi and Moses Wetangula who made their presentations on what they would do for the region if elected president.
“Who elected them? For instance they invited Raila although he has not even declared he will run for president. I’d never honour their invite unless to discuss business. Hiyo ni soko (that is a market place for politicians)..but we have to let the people decide,” he said.
According to Mr Wanjigi, there were other business people in other parts of the country who were not engaged in the search for presidential candidates. He wondered whether those in Mt Kenya region were special.
Concerning his tour of Meru County which was supposed to be held yesterday and today (Monday) but was postponed at the last hour, Mr Wanjigi said he was consulting on how to accommodate more people in the deliberations considering limitation of Covid-19 protocols on gatherings.
Rattled ODM bigwigs
“We postponed our meeting by a few days. We had set out to meet ODM delegates but we have received numerous invitations by various interest groups across Meru. They want to hear more about our economic revolution message and how Meru fits in,” he said.
However, it emerged that the tour was called off due to security concerns, with some leaders saying they feared there was going to be violence, besides pressure piled on the party county leadership by the ODM headquarters.
Meru county ODM chairman Richard Kathata said they received information that there were people planning to disrupt the meetings in Maua and were forced to invite the organisers for discussions.
“All indications were that his meeting in Maua would not go without incidents. The challenge was because his tour was not sanctioned by the party headquarters. We agreed with the organizers that it should be postponed until a later date when proper plans are put in place,” Mr Kathata told Nation yesterday.
There were also two parallel organisers – former Nkuene MCA Nick Mburugu and Zablon Mathenge, who owns Mwariama, a local TV Station, which brought about conflict.
Mr Mburugu said they decided to first consolidate the two factions to ensure there was unity during the tour.
“We did not want to hold parallel meetings which would not have augured well with supporters and Mr Wanjigi. We are engaged in discussions on how to harmonize the teams ahead of new dates that will be announced soon,” Mr Mburugu told Nation.
Mr Wanjigi’s tour of the county had rattled the ODM bigwigs, with Secretary General Edwin Sifuna forced to summon county officials to the headquarters. BY DAILY NATION
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