Orange Democratic Movement party has dismissed allegations made by Deputy President William Ruto that its party leader former Prime Minister Raila Odinga approached him four times to broker a peace deal but he declined.
In a statement released on Wednesday to the media by ODM Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna, ODM has downplayed those assertions terming them as outright falsehoods.“The history of Rt. Hon Raila Odinga and William Ruto, since the grand coalition government days, is well known and even if Ruto was the last human being left standing in this land, the Rt. Hon Odinga would rather make a deal with the birds and trees, but not a character like William Ruto”, read part of the statement.
On Tuesday during an interview with Citizen TV, the Deputy President said that NASA leader approached him for a truce but he declined, saying that he was not the party leader and that he never trusted Raila as a genuine man.
“Before Raila Odinga engaged President Uhuru Kenyatta on the handshake, he engaged me. Raila Odinga approached me on four occasions to have a discussion and I declined to engage him for two reasons,” said Ruto.
“If there is any engagement with anybody on matters politics it has to start with President Uhuru. For every approach that was made by
Raila Odinga to me, I informed the President. I personally told him I will not engage Raila Odinga.”
Inside the hard-hitting statement, the Orange Party said that it is Ruto who sought an audience with Raila through his allies on several occasion on matters that Raila Odinga was not willing to engage in.
“William Ruto first sent feelers to Raila Odinga through his foul-mouthed friend Oscar Sudi. This contact was made through a member of staff at Odinga’s office in Capitol Hill. Ruto knows the details”, said Sifuna.
“But Ruto would not relent. He soon sent a female former powerful Cabinet Minister from the Rift Valley to Odinga’s home, with the same proposal to help tame “Uhuru and his people”. The said former Cabinet minister was to attempt this mission on at least 4 occasions. All these attempts were rejected.” Added Sifuna.
ODM also blames the Deputy President for undermining the war on corruption and being the enemy of the Handshake, saying he should desist from politics of division and hatred, chaos and threats of violence, blackmail and tribal divisions.
MP Oscar Sudi has responded saying that comments alleging he was used by DP Ruto to approach Opposition Chief Raila Odinga are nothing but lies. “Never have I taken such assignments and therefore Sifuna’s comments should be treated with the contempt they deserve,” he wrote on his Facebook page.
Credit: Source link