NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 15 – Deputy President William Ruto has taken a swipe at the Mt Kenya Foundation (MKF) for failing to score presidential hopefuls who appeared before the foundation for vetting before the league of top businessmen from central region settled on a candidate.

Mudavadi (pictured), Wetangula a

 

 

nd Musyoka snubbed Odinga’s Azimio la Umoja convention on December 10 which culminated with a declaration of his presidential candidature in 2022

Ruto, while singling out Amani National Congress (ANC) leader’s Musalia Mudavadi who appeared before MKF for a supposed vetting exercise on December 7 alongside Wiper’s Kalonzo Musyoka, KANU’s Gideon Moi and FORD-Kenya, termed MKF’s failure to give the ANC leader feedback as unfortunate.

“They (MKF tycoons) took Musalia here (Safari Park) in a purported interview, and yet they did not even call him to inform him how he had performed after the vetting,” Ruto said Wednesday in a veiled reference to the tycoons while on a campaign tour of Western region.

Ruto who is keen to expand his alliance ahead of the August 9, 2022 election, urged western Kenyan residents to back his United Democratic Alliance (UDA).

MKF settled on ODM Party Leader Raila Odinga who formally declared his 2022 presidential bid during Azimio la Umoja national convention held in Kasarani on December 10.

Odinga who had chosen to remain non-committal on whether he would vie for the country’s top seat as President Uhuru Kenyatta’s 10-year reign comes to an end, declared his candidature days after MKF’s endorsement.

Speaking during the endorsement, Odinga pledged to unveil a detailed manifesto in the coming days with major focus on corruption, public debt, industrialization, ICT and the digital economy, and promotion and protection of businesses.

However, the Friday declaration appeared to have irked Mudavadi, Kalonzo and Wetangu under the One Kenya Alliance (OKA) who failed to turn up for the event citing other personal engagements.

The three worked with Odinga under the defunct National Super Alliance (NASA) which disintegrated amid accusations by the trio directed at Odinga, who they said blindsided them in his pursuit of the March 2018 truce with Kenyatta.

Ruto called on Mudavadi and Wetangula to join him in UDA party which he has fashioned as a people-led alliance.

The elite club of influential tycoons who include Royal Media Services Founder S.K Macharia, former Kengen CEO Eddy Njoroge, former Equity Bank Chairman Peter Munga, former Kenya Revenue Authority Commissioner General Michael Waweru among others did not meet Ruto who maintained that he will not hold any seating with the businessmen. He accused them of seeking to promote selfish interests.

The presumed UDA leader on Wednesday reaffirmed his commitment to youth empowerment and employment and economic restoration when he takes over the helm of the country upon the retirement of President Kenyatta in August 2022.

In western Kenya, Ruto stepped up his offensive against his political foes including his archrival Odinga whom he maintained has no track record despite being part of government.

“I want to pledge to you, because we believe “Kazi ni Kazi”, we will set aside Sh50 billion to the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) kitty next so that small business people can be able to get capital to run their business which will be interest and security free,” Ruto said amidst cheers from supporters.

He also promised to reduce fertilizer prices in a bid to boost agriculture in the country once elected into office.