President-elect William Ruto has called on Kenyans to pray for President Uhuru Kenyatta as he prepares to go home for retirement.
Ruto made the remarks while attending a thanksgiving church service at Larmudiac High School in Njoro Sub-County, Nakuru on Sunday, September 4, calling for a smooth and Peaceful transition.
“I urge all of you to pray for our leader, President Uhuru Kenyatta because he is the one who will be in charge of the transition, that God helps him so that we have a peaceful transition to allow Kenya to move forward,”
From left: Deputy President William Ruto, the late Kahawa Wendani MCA Cyrus Omondi and President Uhuru Kenyatta at State House in 2018
He further said that Kenyans have a pledge that every retiring President should be respected, and that is how President Uhuru will be respected even when he goes to retirement.
“May God help him so that he lives a better life, even when he retires he will have respect and he will hold his position as a former president in Kenya and he will join his predecessors as national leaders and people who have guided this country to where we are,” Ruto stated
Other leaders who had accompanied Ruto in Nakuru include DP-elect Rigathi Gachagua, Nakuru Governor Susan Kihika, county senator Tabitha Keroche Karanja, Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro, and ANC’s Musalia Mudavadi among others.
President Uhuru and his Deputy William Ruto have had a frosty relationship since 2017, after the famous handshake that saw Raila Odinga join the government.
President Uhuru has over time accused his deputy of sabotaging his big four agenda and for being obsessed with succession politics. The duo have even engaged in a public spat with each one blaming the other for the high cost of living in the country.
Ruto’s allies are unhappy with President Uhuru’s silence after he was declared the President-elect by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission – IEBC chair Wafula Chebukati.
On the other hand, deputy-president Ruto’s deputy, Rigathi Gachagua, has insisted that the swearing-in ceremony will take place with or without Uhuru.
But Ruto has had to be patient and hold celebration, after his main competitor in the August 9 elections Raila Odinga challenged his win at the Supreme Court.
In his submission, Odinga argued that Ruto did not win the election fairly after four out of seven election commissioners disowned the result announced by the commission chairman, saying the tallying had been opaque.
The former Prime Minister also accused the IEBC Chairman of committing election irregularities and wants him prosecuted and barred from overseeing another election.
During the thanksgiving prayer, Ruto did not shy away from commenting on the Supreme Court case. He said he has left the case to God and he will respect the verdict of the seven-judge-bench set for Monday, September 5.
The Lady Justice Martha Koome-led bench will either nullify the election and order fresh election in 60 days, order for recount or uphold Ruto’s win and pave way for his swearing-in.
Azimio leader Raila Odinga (Left) and President-elect, William Ruto (Right)
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