Deputy President William Ruto has defended his wealth and fought claims that he is corrupt and a beneficiary of land grabbing.
Speaking to Kenyan journalists on the sidelines of the ongoing United Nations forum in New York, Ruto said he has achieved all he has through sheer hard work.
“I have got here by sheer hard work. I have not been appointed to any position since I left school. Every position I got, I competitively got it. I have worked hard for it and I have not gotten a lift from anybody,” Ruto said in response to questions about his wealth,” said Ruto.
The DP accused some people of painting a negative image of him, saying they cannot believe how fast he has risen.
“I understand some people have a problem with how far I have come. I have seen people complaining how did William Ruto get here?
“So I understand perfectly the people who believe that the only way to get anywhere is to through shortcuts. We must all have an equal chance. It cuts both ways,” he added.
It is only recently that Ruto had a public spat with former Lugari MP Cyrus Jirongo about the speed with which he amassed wealth, and rose up the political ladder.