Will you support DP William Ruto in 2022? President Uhuru Kenyatta responds after 3 years of silence

Will you support Ruto in 2022? Uhuru responds after 3 years of silence

Tony Mukere

October 2, 2020 9:23 AM

Uhuru changes tune on "yangu kumi, ya William kumi"

Will you support DP William Ruto in 2022? President Uhuru Kenyatta responds after 3 years of silence

President Uhuru Kenyatta was on Thursday confronted with the question of his relationship and support for Deputy President William Ruto whom he had endorsed as his successor between 2013 and 2017.

Uhuru spoke during an interview with France 24 where he was asked a direct question on whether he would support Ruto to succeed him in 2022.

Unlike before where he had championed "yangu kumi, ya William kumi", the President was unequivocal and declined to answer the question.

"I have always maintained and this has been my position. We have an agenda as a government. We are two years away from an election, this is not the time to start campaigning. Number two, my focus is on leaving a united country. I want to ensure that the next election will not be a tense election characterized by negative ethnicity," Uhuru stated.

He added that he regretted that some members of his Jubilee Party had declined to support his unity initiative fearing that bringing on board Opposition politicians was a ploy to sideline the DP.

"I reached to the other side to understand why we have such contentious and divisive elections like the levels we had in 2007. There are some, especially within my party, who feel that that kind of partnership is meant to sideline William Ruto - but there is nothing like that. To the contrary, we want to get to know what divides us and then have an election where they can choose a leader in an acceptable election," he said.

On the question of whether he would extend his term beyond 2022 as a President or as Prime Minister, Uhuru dismissed the question saying he was ready to retire and would rather "spend his retirement time going on a summer vacation in France".

Tony Mukere