‘I would never allow my deputy to be humiliated the way I’ve been humiliated,’ says DP Ruto

Deputy President William Ruto says he has been under attack from individuals close to President Uhuru Kenyatta and the Head of State himself has failed to tame the said persons, leaving him (Ruto) to be humiliated.

In an exclusive interview with Citizen TV on Thursday, Ruto said should he become President he would never allow his deputy to undergo the kind of treatment he has been subjected to.

“Very many deputy presidents are fought. It is an unfortunate situation. Given an opportunity, I would not allow my deputy president to be humiliated the way former deputy presidents have been humiliated and the way I have been humiliated,” said Ruto.

Ruto says after the 2017 elections President Kenyatta decided to change the style of delivering government business, prioritized other agenda like BBI  and also opted to have other people in his inner circle to advice him on the mode of operation.

“The way I worked with my boss from 2013-2017 is different from the way we have worked from 2017 to now and it is a change of style. From 2013-2017 we worked as a pair and we conducted government business in a manner in which we agreed. I held most of the meetings of the Cabinet meetings,” he said.

Nonetheless, the DP says he has no problem with the route the President chose to take, however he maintains it was a departure from what they had initially agreed on how to run government and fulfil the Jubilee agenda.

“The president has broken no law he has just chosen a different style. It is his prerogative. My space is to advice the president and which advice, which when sort, I have been very forthright and honest. If the president decides to deliver government business in a different way and elevate other people, consult more with the former leader of opposition and work with other ministers to deliver government business, I have taken it with grace. You have not heard me complain because of the respect I have for the office of the president,” said Ruto.

The DP went ahead to state that when he decided to support President Kenyatta in 2012, he did not do so on condition that Kenyatta would return the favour.

“When I decided to support Uhuru Kenyatta, I did not give him any conditions… I did not tell him that when he finishes, he should hand over the baton to me. I knew I would have to assemble myself and face the people of Kenya with an agenda,” said Ruto.

Reacting to the “Yangu Kumi Ya Ruto Kumi” remarks that President Kenyatta made on the campaign trail, Ruto says the President is an adult and is entitled to change his mind if he so wishes.

“There has been a narrative built because the President said, Yangu kumi ya Ruto kumi. I have never said such kind of a statement. The President is an adult, he can change his mind… I will not take offence because he owes me nothing. The President remains my friend whether he supports me or not… we have been together since KANU days, we work together we were taken to the Hague together… so he remains my friend,” said the DP.

On the wrangles within the Jubilee Party and the controversy surrounding his decision to create the UDA Party, Ruto blames Jubilee party officials led by Secretary General Raphael Tuju and Vice Chairman David Murathe.

He says in the event order is not restored in the Jubilee Party, he will use the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) is his 2022 presidential bid.

“I still hope that maybe something will happen and we can salvage Jubilee and put it in a place where it can have its original vision. In the event that does not work out, we have to have a plan B. For us we have a sister party, now called UDA. In the event Jubilee is not available the next best option is UDA,” said the deputy president.