President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto yesterday accused CORD of planning to take advantage of their cases at ICC to seize power in their absence.
President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto. Photo PPS
The president said even if they are attending the cases at the International Criminals Court there will be no leadership vacuum and those thinking otherwise should forget the idea.
“There will be no leadership vacuum but the government is very strong and complete,” said the head of state. He warned that those who wanted to use the ICC to ascend to power should forget it since it would not happen.
“There is no need going round the country warning of a power vacuum during the ICC cases. Those saying so should go home and rest for five years and come back to seek mandate from Kenyans,” he said.
The President said they will defend themselves ably at the court and they will be vindicated. “We will go there, defend ourselves and those who are spreading lies will be humiliated,” he said.
The President spoke during the homecoming of Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen at Iten. He also put on notice senators and governors supporting calls for a referendum and cautioned that were it not for the Jubilee government they would not have won the seats they have.
Ruto asked Kenyans to pray for them as they go through the challenges at the ICC. He said they were confident that God will see them through and disappoint those who spread lies against them.
“God will see us through, and those who spread the lies will be ashamed,” Ruto told the excited crowd Iten Stadium. “The Almighty God will do miracles and we will come home and continue to build the nation,” he said. Uhuru said they have spent most of his time together with the deputy preaching peace to ensure there was no repeat of what happened in 2007 during the post- election violence.
“When we were going around the country uniting Kenyans to live in harmony, did you see any mzungu (white people) preaching peace?” he wondered.
Shame of 2007
He added that they removed the shame of 2007 elections in this year’s election. On the issue of referendum, Uhuru told leaders to stop bickering over the plebiscite to seek for more funds to the devolved governments.
“The constitution guarantees 15 per cent, but the Jubilee government doubled the amount to 32 per cent and will increase further to 40 per cent next year,” said the president who together with his deputy were crowned as Elgeyo Marakwet elders. “They are going round the country telling people that Jubilee is not enthusiastic about devolution, but we are the ones who put 32 per cent, we were not with them when we decided that,” he added.
President Uhuru said they will deliver on what they promised Kenyans during the campaigns and implement the Jubilee manifesto.
“We have gone round the country to make sure those Kenyans who were kicked out of their homes, from the forests and during the post-election violence are resettled and all camps closed by the end of this week.
He told Elgeyo Marakwet residents the government has set aside more than Sh1billion for those who were evicted from Embobut forest and asked the beneficiaries to spend the money wisely. According to the government, each household will receive Sh400,000 as compensation.
The head of state also promised that the youth and women funds will be disbursed soon to allow them initiate business projects.
“We have decided that ours is to work, even if they say we are clerks and cooks, as long as Kenyans enjoy better service we do not care,” said Uhuru.
He urged senators and governors to join hands with his government to ensure quality services to the people who elected them into offices.
President Uhuru and his deputy’s presence at the homecoming of Kipchumba Murkomen comes only a few weeks after the senate dropped its push for a referendum to have the ‘Upper House’ get more powers and more cash allocated to the counties.
Mr Murkomen was at the centre of that push.
By Jacob Ngetich and Fred Kibor, The Standard
