Former Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka (right), President Uhuru Kenyatta (centre) and Deputy President William Ruto at a past function in Kericho on January 16, 2011. [Photo: Daily Nation]
Details have emerged why President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto dumped Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka ahead of 2013 general elections.
According to Ruto, the former Vice President insisted on being named the presidential candidate because Uhuru and Ruto had cases at the International Criminal Court (ICC), and according to Kalonzo it was impossible for the duo to be let off the hook.
"He told us to allow him to become the president, in any case, we will be in jail for 10 years," Ruto said during an interview with Citizen TV on Sunday.
The DP said what Kalonzo told them was a turn-off, terming the remarks as 'very weird'.
But in his autobiography, 'Against All Odds', Kalonzo claims he was elbowed out of the presidential ticket after Uhuru and Ruto had made him believe he would be the government-backed candidate.
He gives details of a night meeting in his Karen home where the three politicians met, adding that also in attendance was Nairobi businessman Jimmy Wanjigi.
“I clearly remember the night I felt betrayed by Uhuru and Ruto. This was the night our alliance died. We had agreed with Ruto that I would be on the presidential ticket, with Uhuru as my running mate or vice versa. Ruto was to be the Majority Leader,” he writes.
He continues: “Then on that night, Uhuru and Ruto arrived at my home in the company of Jimmy Wanjigi, a Nairobi businessman and political strategist. We walked down to the gazebo where dinner was to be served.”
The NASA presidential running mate says he realised things have changed when they started discussing the business of the day.
“Ruto and Jimmy sat silently as Uhuru spoke: “Stephen,” he said, “We have decided that you should choose some other position, but not the presidency or deputy presidency.’’ I was stunned. I did not know at what point the arrangement we had earlier, of me being on the presidential ticket, had been changed.”
But Ruto dismissed Kalonzo's claims saying they did not want to engage him anymore in their plans. after the 'ICC nasty remarks'.
"That is how we left Kalonzo's house in a hurry as we realised we were not dealing with a friend. We never negotiated with Kalonzo on him being a flag bearer," Ruto said.