President William Ruto has accused Opposition leader Raila Odinga, of plotting chaos and destruction through protests.
Speaking at a church service in Nandi County on Sunday, Ruto stated that Odinga has no legitimate reason to call for protests and that the demonstrations are simply a means for him to advance his political agenda.
The President stated that Odinga’s philosophy is one of destroying people’s property and terrorising them into submission.
“Raila Odinga has no reason at all to call for protests. The protests are meant to destroy people’s property. That’s his philosophy, that’s how he plays his politics. We will not accept that,” he said.
President Ruto also accused Odinga of being responsible for the high cost of living in Kenya following his handshake with former President Uhuru Kenyatta.
“We will not allow you. You have terrorised the people of Nyanza with violence, chaos and anarchy into submission, almost into slavery. You now want to extend to other parts of the country when you have absolutely no reason. It will not happen, we will not allow you,” he said.
The President also criticized Odinga’s lack of faith in Kenya’s institutions, saying that the opposition leader does not believe in the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) or the Supreme Court. Instead, Odinga has put his trust in a “whistleblower” who he claims has inside information about the election.
“I have tried to listen to him. He is telling us he does not believe in IEBC, the Supreme Court but a whistle blower. He is telling us that he wants to decide who will appoint IEBC commissioners,” he said.
Despite his criticisms of Odinga, President Ruto stated that he is willing to meet with any leader in a constitutional and legal manner to discuss the future of the country. He stated that he was unwilling to participate in anarchy or be threatened with ultimatums.
“I am ready to engage with any leader if we are discussing the future of our country, the destiny of our nation in a constitutional, legal manner. But we are not going to engage in anarchy, we are not going to be threatened with ultimatums,” he said.
The head of state added that security will be provided by the police, who will also deal with anyone attempting to cause trouble.
