Ruto rigged me out of Jubilee, says Kenneth

Former Gatanga MP Peter Kenneth has named Deputy President William Ruto as the mastermind behind an alleged rigging scheme that saw him lose Jubilee Party ticket for Nairobi governorship.

Mr Kenneth said the DP had camped at the party headquarters in Pangani, Nairobi, during the duration of the nominations from where he schemed the rigging plot.

“We did not lose the Jubilee Party nominations, because my opponent was assisted by somebody high up in the party hierarchy,” he said without mentioning Senator Mike Sonko’s name.

He went on: “Our opponent was assisted by somebody who wanted to cut me to size politically…and lets not cheat ourselves, that person is Mr Ruto,” he said, while accusing Mr Sonko of hiding behind his new public image.

Mr Kenneth, who is seeking the Nairobi gubernatorial seat as an independent candidate, was speaking when he held a town Hall campaign in Mlango Kubwa, Mathare constituency.

REJECTED OFFER

“They ensured they voted twice, thrice, ten times, and the worst case was where an individual voted a record 51 times,” he told a crowd at Pequinoninos.

Despite the setback, the former 2013 presidential candidate assured his supporters that his vision for a better city remained strong and that Mr Sonko had no capacity to run the city.

On Sunday, after the senator said he was willing to work with Mr Kenneth in building Nairobi County and pleaded with him to join the Jubilee campaign team, Mr Kenneth flatly rejected the offer.

“Mr Sonko knows he can’t run this city - that is why he has acquired a new image of donning suits every day. He may have a new suit every day but his brains and thinking remain the same,” said Mr Kenneth.

He added: “Even with new suits, Mr Sonko has not changed; he is merely hiding behind those suits.”

BAD DEAL

Mr Kenneth, who contested the 2013 presidential election and lost, warned voters in Nairobi that appearances are not everything and to vote for leaders who will work and deliver services.

Mr Kenneth further laughed off the war between Senator Sonko and Governor Evans Kidero, saying it was a dishonest feud that emanated from a deal gone sour.

“They worked together, ate together and only fell out after they disagreed on a deal. This is why they are on separate paths.”

He told the crowd that Dr Kidero had received over Sh100 billion in the past four years and challenged the residents to demand what he had done with the money.

“If you know somebody has failed, he has scored an ‘F’, and you still re-elect him, then you are the worst failure,” he said.

FIRE STATIONS

Mr Kenneth promised to rehabilitate health centres and public schools and reduce single permit fees on businesses like salons as a way of promoting small-scale enterprises if elected governor on August 8.

He will also create fire stations in all 17 constituencies in the city and devolve services to the 17 sub-counties so as to create jobs and empower youths, he promised.