President Ruto says those opposed to livestock vaccination are 'stupid, possessed by evil spirits'

President William Ruto has fired at those who are opposed to the national livestock vaccination programme slated for next year, describing them as either possessed by evil spirits, unreasonable, mad, or stupid.

Speaking after attending the 4th Pastoralist Leadership Summit in Wajir County on Tuesday, President Ruto trained his guns at dissenters opposed to the government’s plan to roll out a nationwide vaccination programme targeting 22 million heads of cattle from January next year.

The President, who recently appears to have perfected the art of clapping back and lambasting his opposers in rather unpresidential language, called them "stupid people." 

"Anybody opposing vaccination to eliminate FMD and PPR is simply mad and unreasonable and possibly stupid," he said.

The Head of State said he did not understand how anybody would be opposed to the plan.

"Honestly, how else can you explain? You don’t know about livestock, shut up, at least for those of us who keep cattle. There is an evil spirit in Kenyans, they oppose everything by spreading lies," added the President.

The opposition, led by Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, has faulted the programme, terming it a foreign agenda pushing Kenya into what will permanently alter the genetic structure of the local breeds.

"We reject these experiments in total. Let everyone know that we will resist them to the very end. We ask our fellow Kenyans to join us in opposing the proposed vaccinations, which clearly hurt our animals and endanger our people," said Kalonzo.

However, this is just one of the now too-familiar heavy words dropped by President Ruto to his critics.

Last week while attending the Kilifi International Investment Conference, Ruto referred to those alleging corruption in the National Equipment Service Programme (NESP) deal as foolish.

He said: "You have to be a fool to be forced to sign the wrong thing and then come and talk about it… Kwani wewe ni mjinga kiasi gani?"

This new strategy of responding to critics started exactly seven days ago when he said that Kenyans who are opposed to the Adani deal, the Social Health Authority, and the Affordable Housing Project, among others, were possessed by evil spirits.

"Kuna pepo chafu ya kupinga kila kitu. Kiwanda kama hii, affordable housing, chanjo ya ng’ombe kuondoa magonjwa, kubadilisha mfumo ndio tuweze kuokoa university zetu, mambo ya afya wanaipinga. Nauliza hii pepo chafu, imekuja wanapinga ata matoleo kanisani," Ruto said at the time.

A year ago, the President was also on the receiving end after he hit his opposers with a "mambo ni matatu" phrase, with the opposition interpreting it to mean a threat to Kenyans.

"Nimewaambia watoke Kenya, waende jela ama wasafiri waende mbinguni," Ruto warned.

The language has been termed by some quarters as highly unpresidential.