Members of founding Vice President Jaramogi Oginga Odinga family have taken issue with Deputy President William Ruto's recent attacks on ODM boss Raila Odinga, Oginga's second-born son.
Ruto on Monday lashed out at Raila for questioning the sources of his Harambee funds, referring to him as an anti-progress campaigner who thrives on poverty and the Lord of Poverty.
He observed that the former Prime Minister has been opposing each and every step taken towards elevating the status of Kenyans, claiming that he is instead rooting for poverty to retain his support.
"You were against Eurobond because you said it is corrupt, you were against us building the railway because you said it is corrupt. It is because you are the lord of poverty. You want this country to be poor so that people can continue to support you,” the DP said, as quoted by the People Daily.
Led by East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) MP Oburu Oginga, the family now wants the DP to resign for disrespecting the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party leader.
Speaking on Wednesday, Oburu reminded Ruto that unlike him whose character is stained with corruption suspicions, Raila is clean.
"If you refer to Raila as the lord of poverty and yet you are the one who is being accused of being corrupt then you are misleading Kenyans. Raila’s record is clean unlike yours which is questionable,” said the former Bondo MP.
The remarks were echoed by Raila's sister and Kisumu County Director of Special Programmes Ruth Odinga.
Odinga said that the DP cannot stand the sight of Raila overtaking him in the eyes of President Uhuru Kenyatta.
He branded him a jealous man envying Raila's newfound closeness with the Head of State, a privilege Ruto fully enjoyed until the two reached a truce early last year.
“It is in the public domain that the DP is a jealous man because he sees the president and my brother relating well, so he is worried,” said the former Kisumu Deputy Governor.