Amani National Congress (ANC) leader Musalia Mudavadi has cautioned Deputy President William Ruto regarding his closeness with a section of leaders from Western Kenya.
The DP has been making numerous trips to Western Kenya in the company of a section of area leaders, trips that have seen him manage to win over a good number of them.
However, speaking on Thursday, Mudavadi who is considered one of the leading political images in the region cautioned the DP that he is being financially misused and extorted.
He noted that Ruto should not expect political backing from either the region's leaders or voters in his 2022 presidential bid, claiming that the leaders are not interested in him, but his money.
"Siku hizi mwanaume si effort bali ni wallet. Ikiwa wewe unaitwa tu katika harambee hii ni dalili kwamba hawana nia na wewe ila ni wallet yako wanataka. (Nowadays, a man is not defined by his effort, but the wallet. If you are only being invited for fundraisers, you should know that they are not interested in you but your wallet)," Mudavadi said on Radio Citizen's Mjadala Wa Citizen show on Thursday where he, however, said that Ruto remains welcome to visit the area.
"Hapa Kenya kila mtu ana uhuru wa kutembea. Hata mimi hutembelea sehemu tofauti. Mtu yeyote ako na haki ya kuja magharibi. (In Kenya, everyone has a right to make tours. I too have been touring different parts of the nation. Any Kenyan has a right to visit Western Kenya)," he added.
Both Mudavadi and DP Ruto are expected to battle it out for the presidency in the 2022 polls.