Amani National Congress (ANC) party leader has again bashed Deputy President William Ruto over his recent demands for the repayment of political debts.
Speaking in Kakamega county on Saturday, Ruto urged the Western region to back his 2022 presidential bid, in appreciation of his role in Mudavadi's ascend to the Deputy Prime Ministerial seat in 2008.
But in an interview on Citizen TV on Tuesday evening, Mudavadi indirectly referred to the DP as the biblical Zacchaeus, who has since embarked on collecting taxes.
He said that Ruto's actions lately point at a man out to demand payments not founded anywhere.
"We do not need to create Zakayos who we are now seeing coming to collect debts," said Mudavadi.
He reiterated his earlier remarks that neither he nor his community owes Ruto or any other politician a debt, adding that there is no agreement compelling them to vote in a certain manner.
He accused Ruto of trying to block the region from making its own voluntary decision, noting that he is, instead, among the ones owing Kenyans the development they promised as is contained in the Jubilee manifesto.
"We cannot have people trying to block others from voting in their own style. The only existing debt is owed to Kenyans by their leaders in terms of development," added Mudavadi.
Ruto was part of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) 2007 pentagon which participated in that year's presidential race.
The contest later ended up in a grand coalition government, with then sitting President Mwai Kibaki retaining his seat and opposition leader Raila Odinga and Mudavadi taking the Prime Minister and deputy seats respectively.