MARTHA KARUA SLAMS WILLIAM RUTO

Azimio La Umoja One Kenya deputy presidential candidate Martha Karua slammed Deputy President William Ruto for the manner in which he handled his fallout with President Uhuru Kenyatta.

Karua says Ruto was wrong to publicly disagree and trade accusations with President Uhuru, insisting that the situation could have been handled differently.

“The way the Constitution is, you disagree inhouse, you resolve it. I do not think there is anything that cannot be resolved unless it is something that is unconstitutional that is being demanded of you,” Karua said during the Deputy President Debate 2022 held on Tuesday, July 19 at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa.

She accused Ruto, who is vying for the presidency under the United Democratic Alliance ticket in the forthcoming August 9, 2022 General Election, of being unprincipled and dishonest for not resigning and continuing to earn a public salary for work not done.

“For those who do not understand principles, they can never envisage resigning. I think it is dishonest to continue to take publics salary, to take the privileges and all that goes with that office, when you know that you can no longer deliver either because of difference or other things.”

Why I resigned from Mwai Kibaki’s gov’t
Karua cited herself as an example of how leaders should handle disagreements, underscoring the fact that a government cannot exist without “inhouse” disagreements.

“I respectfully withdrew myself by resignation from Mwai Kibaki’s government in a respectful manner, no name calling, such that we continued to be able to sit down and talk when we meet. I don’t think the same can be said of [William Ruto].

Entertaining disagreement outside government and publicly is disruptive, no wonder the government in which [Ruto] serves is unable to fight corruption because it is pulling in two different directions. That is why the government is in paralysis today.”

She added: “My principal is a believer in the rule of law and constitutionalism. He is a man who views everything through the lens of social justice, that is why we have a dignity package for those who cannot afford meals on their tables, that is why we have Babacare.

I cannot stand here and honestly say that we will agree on everything, that never happened even in Kibaki’s government.

My principles differed with Mwai Kibaki’s, but all he said to the public is that ‘I was not consulted’. How they went backroom and resolved, we never knew but they came with a unanimous decision. Holding an office while not serving is dishonesty.”