Murang’a Senator Irungu Kang’ata has sensationally claimed that the political marriage between President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga started by the infamous handshake is over.
Kanga'ta says ongoing lamentations by ODM leaders over alleged mistreatment by some quarters has vindicated Mt Kenya leaders allied to Deputy President William Ruto who opposed the marriage.
“We warned President Uhuru not to enter any political partnership with Raila but he refused and the government started fighting us. Now he can see for himself,” Kang’ata said on Sunday.
The Senator, who was only recently ousted as Majority Whip, argued that once mistrust creeps into a political relationship, such as that between Raila and Uhuru, it became permanently irreparable.
“If we dared followed handshake and fought Ruto, we would now be isolated,” he claimed.
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Kang’ata further argues that only the DP could be trusted as he sided with Uhuru since 2002, unlike the ODM Party Leader whom he said could walk out on the Head of State at any particular time.
He urged the president to return to his previous promise to back Ruto for president come 2022.
This comes a day after Senate Minority Leader James Orengo accused Kenyatta’s juniors based at Harambee House, read Interior PS Karanja Kibicho, of trying to derail Raila’s 2022 presidential bid.
Civil servants must keep off politics and concentrate on the delivery of their constitutional mandates. pic.twitter.com/5ChtuuPFWg
— James Orengo (@orengo_james) March 6, 2021
Orengo’s sentiments were echoed by Rarieda MP Otiende Amolo, who claimed there was a ploy by some in the Office of the President to bar Uhuru’s handshake and BBI partner from ascending to power.
— Otiende Amollo, SC,MP, EBS (@OAmollo) March 6, 2021
The remarks by the two Raila allies also comes after the former Prime Minister’s elder brother Oburu Oginga alluded to the possibility of Raila working with DP Ruto in the 2022 General Election.
Some leaders within ODM have even threatened to scuttle the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) referendum, accusing the Uhuru side of using them to get it passed by county assemblies before attempting to betray their party boss.