President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto during Jubilee’s rally in Taita Taveta County on Wednesday. [Photo/ PSCU]
The recent claims by NASA presidential flag bearer Raila Odinga linking Acting Interior CS Fred Matiang'i to an alleged plot by Jubilee to rig the August 8 polls is the latest flashpoint to reignite a war of words between him and President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Speaking in Taita Taveta, on Wednesday during a Jubilee campaign rally, Uhuru scoffed at the former Prime Minister, saying he should leave the CS alone.The President termed the claims as baseless; adding that they are a clear indicator Raila had lost focus.“You are competing with me and not Matiang’i. Let Government officers do their job. If you want to be my minister I will give you a job later,” said Uhuru.Deputy President William Ruto reiterated Uhuru’s sentiments, claiming that Raila is running scared because he is not prepared for the August polls."These NASA leaders should keep off Matiang'i. They should tell Kenyans if they are ready for the August 8 polls or not. If they are not ready for election, they can have theirs in 2022 where they will meet me," Ruto said.This comes after Raila on Tuesday claimed that Matiang’i was closely working with the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to rig the polls in favour of Jubilee."Matiang‘i is trying to rig this election in the guise of acting on behalf of the State. We will not allow that to happen," said Raila, as quoted by The Star.