Deputy President William Ruto is undoubtedly a great speaker with what the Englishmen call the “gift of the garb”.

On Wednesday, however, we witnessed a rare side of Ruto – he had very little to say about the late champion of multiparty politics.

In his characteristic suaveness, Ruto blamed his relatively young age as the reason he did not have much to say about Matiba’s famed struggle in the fight for democracy.

The statement by Ruto was an outright lie and I will explain why.

Ruto at University of Nairobi

Ruto joined the University of Nairobi in 1987 when the struggle for multiparty politics was taking shape.

While Ruto would want us to believe that he was too young to play a role in the struggle for good governance, a majority of students at the University of Nairobi were actively involved in agitation for better governance.

Many students, such as the late Titus Adungosi, paid the ultimate price after they were killed by the Nyayo state for their role in the struggle for justice and better governance.

Whenever the majority of comrades engaged in civil protests against the Moi government, the young Ruto remained in the minority - students who resorted to prayers and praise worship to save them from the brutal policemen who raped and maimed their innocent colleagues.

Gift of the garb

A few years later, Ruto organised a group of his tribesmen to go see Moi – the man who had overseen the torture and killings of those who were calling for a democratic government.

But rather than use the platform to make a case for Matiba or for the millions who were suffering under the Nyayo regime – the young Ruto used his gift of the garb to lead a colourful prayer in praise of the dictator Moi.

So ‘good’ was the prayer that he later got the opportunity to join Moi’s campaign team through the notorious YK ’92.

Ruto YK 92

Ruto, through YK ’92, actively sabotaged Matiba’s presidential campaign through a myriad of criminal activities including use of taxpayer’s money to campaign as well as physical attacks in Opposition rallies.

The point is, Ruto cannot conveniently use his age as an excuse for his ugly role in Kenya’s struggle for multiparty politics.

As Malema would put it, it is extremely hypocritical for Ruto to claim to mourn Matiba when he was in the forefront of sabotaging the freedom fighter’s dreams and spirations.

Tony Mukere is a journalist and political commentator. The views expressed here are solely the author's and do not necessarily represent the views of Pulselive.co.ke.