Deputy President William Ruto has been forced to come clean on the Kenya Kwanza power-sharing deal that went viral, amid reports that he intends to reintroduce the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) in order to create positions for his allies and allegations of giving Mount Kenya region a raw deal.
Leaked Kenya Kwanza deal: DP Ruto explains how Mount Kenya will benefit
Critics pointed out that Mount Kenya region was given a raw deal with some accusing DP Ruto of including elements of BBI proposals in his the deal
The power-sharing plan indicates that none of Ruto's allies will miss out and to accommodate them, new positions would be introduced, just like in the BBI report that he opposed vehemently.
Cornered by his critics and the rival Azimio One Kenya Alliance, Ruto challenged his competitors to make their power-sharing deals public.
He faulted the Azimio brigade for dwelling on the matter, pointing out that unlike Kenya Kwanza, they are a selfish bunch operating in secrecy and resulting in fallouts such as the case of Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua and his Kilifi counterpart, Amason Kingi who bolted out of the alliance.
Ruto who was speaking during a campaign rally in Nairobi on Friday, May 13 maintained that the Kenya Kwanza deal was above board and no one in the coalition was being duped as alleged by his rivals.
"You are talking about the Kenya Kwanza deal all day long. Where is yours? We know that yours is written at night and cannot be even accessed by those who wrote it. The difference between our teams in clear as night and day.
"You wanted to use Ksh50 billion to change the constitution while we will use it to improve our economy," Ruto said.
How Mount Kenya will benefit
Ruto found himself on the receiving end when it emerged that his power-sharing plan includes elements of the BBI report which he was in the frontline opposing.
Among the areas that stood out was the introduction of the position of Prime Cabinet Secretary which many equated to creating the Prime Minister's position as proposed in the BBI.
The plan caused jitters in Mount Kenya, with some leaders pointing out that the region would receive a raw deal despite the overwhelming support for Ruto.
Those who voiced their concerns included former Kiambu governor and Tujibebe Wakenya party leader, William Kabogo who took it upon himself to demand the region's rightful share in the Ruto power-sharing plan.
Kabogo demanded an explanation from Ruto on how the region stands to gain from his presidency, threatening to quit the coalition if his demands were not met.
"I have called him and challenged him to explain why they are sharing seats and the agreement has no mention of the interests of the Mount Kenya region. If he does not correct that, I will leave since the election is yet to be held - let him know it's still early and people can change their minds," Kabogo asserted.
In his response, Ruto noted that the region will enjoy more resources by his government.
"We will even implement the one man one shilling without changing the Constitution," he added.
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