What changed on my support for DP Ruto's presidential bid - Moses Kuria opens up

Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria has disclosed how his support for Deputy President William Ruto changed, from unequivocally supporting the DP to asking Kenyans not to be rushed to support his presidential bid.

Speaking during an interview with Citizen TV’s Jeff Koinange, Kuria said he had some serious questions about Ruto’s presidential ambitions as well as ODM leader Raila Odinga’s outfit, Azimio la Umoja.

“Things change and times change. Ruto is going to remain my very good friend. He belongs to a party called UDA, I belong to Chama Cha Kazi. My intention, initially, was that we work together but by the time I left Kenya, Ruto and UDA were very categorical that they were not for alliances,” Kuria said.

The MP also made a thinly veiled attack that the DP seemed to have agreed to form alliances with ANC and Ford Kenya, despite having rejected his wish to join forces.

“I have seen that since that time, everywhere I find a UDA logo there is also the ANC logo and the Ford Kenya logo so I assume that ANC and Ford Kenya are parties from Uganda so we will wait for them (UDA) to engage parties from Kenya,” Kuria added.

He explained that he is yet to pick his preferred presidential candidate and would also declare his stand after probing manifestos from both Ruto and Odinga.

“Kenya Kwanza and Azimio were formed while I was in a hospital bed, I can only be crazy to purport that I support things that were formed while I was in a hospital bed… We need time to understand whether what they are selling is compatible with our values,” the Gatundu South MP stated.

Kuria also poured water on rumours from Ruto allies that he had received money to withdraw his support for the DP.

“If I happen to meet the deputy president, people from the other side will say I am being bought. Now today I heard my good friend Sylvanus Osoro say that President Kenyatta came to buy me with taxpayers money in Dubai.

“We have no price; we cannot be bought. We stand for something and are ready to work with whoever is going to subscribe to what we think is very important, not just for us but for Kenya,” he explained.

Kuria, who is not interested in defending his Gatundu South MP seat, said that he is open to being picked as a running mate by either side of the political divide.

“For us (Chama Cha Kazi), we have to be in a position to win. Without any contempt to any candidate, it is important that if we are to join any side, we have to be assured that side will win.

“If you offer us and we think you cannot win, we would rather continue building ourselves to become a very strong party within Parliament that is going to contribute to nation-building and through counties that our governors are going to control,” he stated.