Fresh details emerge about Ruto's secret meeting after kicking out journalists

More details continue to emerge about Deputy President William Ruto’s closed-door meeting with victims of the 2007/8 post-election violence in Njoro, Nakuru.

Ruto had chased away journalists covering the meeting, expressing that the meeting was very secretive and the media should not have been invited.

“These media houses...why do we have media houses here? Nani aliwaleta hapa (Who allowed them in?). Tokeni kwanza bwana ndio tuongee mambo ya maana (Please leave so we can discuss important issues),” he DP Ruto said.

Deputy President William Ruto meets Nakuru leaders in Njoro Pulse Live Kenya

According to journalists from The Standard who managed to sneak into the meeting, Ruto said that he had an opportunity to support former prime minister Raila Odinga in 2013 but chose President Uhuru Kenyatta.

He said that any side he would pick stood high chances of clinching power, except a Ruto-Wamalwa (Eugene) ticket was also considered.

“I had a chance to support Raila because it was obvious if I supported him, he would have won. The same would have happened if I supported Uhuru. It was easy for me to support Uhuru," Ruto was quoted.

“I asked Eugene: Uhuru aside, can you even defeat me? We even tried asking him that we unite and that we would offer him a post, but he declined,” he divulged.

During the secret meeting between DP and Njoro resident, he revealed that Kalonzo too had asked for Ruto and Uhuru’s support because they were facing charges at the International Criminal Court.

“Kalonzo told us he is an international lawyer. He said the two of us would be imprisoned for about 10 years and instead asked us to support him to be President. He said when done with his 10 years, we would be out of jail," Ruto explained.

Interestingly, Nairobi Senator Sakaja in a past interview revealed that Wamalwa had been fronted to become Uhuru’s running mate before he convinced the president to pick Ruto.

Sakaja said that Kenyatta called him aside one evening after a brainstorming meeting to make the final decision and asked him why Ruto was a better choice.

Dr William Ruto Pulse Live Kenya

“Some people dismissed me. But Uhuru who was the Deputy Prime Minister at the time, called me in the evening and told me hebu nionyeshe hio kitu tena (please show me that presentation again)”

“At that time Eugene Wamalwa was supposed to be the running mate. I told him we need William (Ruto). I appreciate that fact because regardless of what everyone says, President Kenyatta and his Deputy were sincere about creating peace in this country, Sakaja recalled.