Ruto: Makau out to separate me and Raila

[federa]

This is a very interesting article written by William Ruto appearing in today's Star newspaper. Is Ruto re-examining his chosen political path or what?

By William Ruto

Why Prof. Mutua is Fond of Vilifying Me

A few weeks ago, Prof Makau Mutua’s column in the Sunday Nation branded me an anti-reformist for reasons best known to him. This is not the first time the good professor is attacking me through the media with his right hand man Miguna Miguna who has since parted ways with Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

Prof. Makau chairs KHRC, but reading the article, one wonders whether he subscribes to the tenets of that institution. He writes pages and pages on democracy and its values but all his attacks narrow down to me. He advises Hon. Odinga to kick me out of ODM. Is that the democracy Prof. Makau has so long been advocating for?

My difference in opinions with Raila does not mean we hate each other and if there is no room for different opinions in ODM, where is democracy? ‘Anti-reform’ is the catchword for the anti-Ruto bashers, especially Prof. Makau and Miguna, who after his suspension realized that Raila too wasn’t a reformist. It may appear to be a good read and it sells. However, what is the word ‘reformist’ that is being bandied about? Is a reformist a person who goes to the rooftops and shouts his reform credentials? Prof. Makau, I will tell you who a reformist is.

A reformist is a person who demonstrates his reform credentials by his deeds. Although Makau dishonestly describes me as an anti-reformist, I undertook the recent reforms at the Ministries of Agriculture and Higher Education. Upon taking responsibility at Kilimo House, I embarked on practical reform measures on our agricultural policies to see to it that our maize, dairy, coffee, tea, sugar, cashew nuts and fish farmers, just to mention a few, get a fair return. It was during my time at the ministry that the agricultural policies which allow the farmer to access cheap fertilizer, seed and credit to make farming a feasible and worthwhile venture were met. I reigned on the sugar barons to stop their selfish habit of dumping cheap sugar in our country. And not to brag but to set the record straight, in the short period that I was at Kilimo House, farmers in Bura and Tana River were able to harvest ‘maize they had never harvested in a generation’ as put by President Kibaki in the 2010 Eldoret Agricultural Show. In Mutua’s native Ukambani, the maize they harvested, some 70-year-olds had never seen in their lifetime.

At the Ministry of Higher Education, for the short period I was at the helm, we managed to close bogus colleges, empowered HELB to give loans to more students and addressed the issue of the two years wasted before admission to public universities. Prof. Makau should know that one does not become a reformer by words. You demonstrate by deeds. You become a reformer by reforming institutions of governance through visible, pragmatic policies and timely interventions. Empty talk won’t reform anything.

Reading a number of Makau’s articles, I’m persuaded to think that he may be on hire by a master, be it local or foreign, that will soon be obvious to all Kenyans. Makau alleges that I crossed over to Narc to kick out Moi- a plain lie, blatant dishonesty! Moi’s last political effort was supporting his so-called 2002 ‘Uhuru Project’. He is quick to point at my impending move to UDM and calls me a political prostitute, forgetting that Raila, whom he advises to send me away from ODM, is the greatest ‘party hopper’ we have in Parliament. All Kenyans know that I campaigned for Uhuru Kenyatta and was never in the Narc party. Kenyans remember me standing by Uhuru when he was reading his speech admitting Kibaki’s victory after the 2002 elections.

The truth is that I was one of the founders of the Orange movement, which identified Raila as its flag bearer in 2007 after ODM held nominations for its presidential aspirants, where I was also a contestant. Despite losing to Raila in the ODM nominations, I campaigned vigorously for him and delivered votes to Raila more than any other Pentagon member and politician in the ODM team. So, why would Makau mislead Kenyans that Ruto joined ODM to kick out Moi but fail to point out that I campaigned for and supported Raila to the hilt- an effort which resulted in victory, but whose victory was actually stolen?

Why would Prof. Makau deliberately choose to be silent on this point? Why wasn’t I branded an anti-reformist when I was still on good terms with Raila? I was only 24 in 1992, a fresh Bachelor of Science graduate from the University of Nairobi (not in political science) and a member of YK92 outfit. There are those who allege that I was instrumental in ensuring Moi retained the presidency. Moi, a political professor with 36 years experience by then, depending on a 24-year-old political novice to help him win? Tell it to the birds! Come 2005, we parted ways and were in the opposite camps politically but I still respect retired President Moi first as a statesman and also as a friend.

Politics being politics, I teamed up with Raila in the 2005 referendum and again in the 2007 elections. The difference between Raila and Ruto is not anything to do with ideology but so much to do with the likes of Prof. Mutuas of this world. The burning desire of this ilk is to fan the embers of fire and hate meant to widen the little chasm between Raila and me.

The author is the MP for Eldoret North.

[federa]

There are a number of statements in this article that sound very unlike the Ruto Kenyans have come to know, always going hammer and tongs at the Prime Minister.

'My difference in opinions with Raila does not mean we hate each other'

'The difference between Raila and Ruto is not anything to do with ideology but so much to do with the likes of Prof. Mutuas of this world'.

'The burning desire of this ilk is to fan the embers of fire and hate meant to widen the little chasm between Raila and me.'

Isn't what he accusing Prof. Makau of trying to do exactly what Ruto himself has been working hard on as part of his new political game plan, widen as much as possible the chasm between himself and the Prime Minister?

[mzalendo]

He went to the hague and knew his true enemies. He was told here on several occassions by the intelligent Jukwaa analyst but he could not listen.
just hope tha he is not too late.

[b6k]

Forgive Ruto for he's a punch drunk prize fighter who's just realized he was played by the PNU side & not by ODM. For someone who appears to want to reduce the gap between him & RAO, why does he squeeze in the jibes against him? The talk of RAO's "party-hopping" & bringing up his betrayal of his pen for hire, MM, are pretty much Ruto staple Raila bashing.

[genius]

How typical of William Ruto. Always blaming other people for his problems. First it was Raila, now it is Makau Mutua and Miguna Miguna.

Methinks the ordeal at The Hague scared him senseless and he realises he needs Raila to wiggle out of this. I wonder how Raila can help him though, I doubt he has much influence at the ICC.

Knowing how desperate Raila is to seal the Rift Valley vote, he will welcome Ruto back into the fold with open arms. As to whether this will be effective in making him president next year, only time will tell.

[mzee]

I dont understand where WSR is going with the article but all I know is that Mutua has always been a gun for hire. We have have said it here in jukwaa on many occassion and we will repeat it.

[politicalmaniac]

Sept 16, 2011 14:16:12 GMT 3 federa said:

There are a number of statements in this article that sound very unlike the Ruto Kenyans have come to know, always going hammer and tongs at the Prime Minister.

'My difference in opinions with Raila does not mean we hate each other'

'The difference between Raila and Ruto is not anything to do with ideology but so much to do with the likes of Prof. Mutuas of this world'.

'The burning desire of this ilk is to fan the embers of fire and hate meant to widen the little chasm between Raila and me.'

Isn't what he accusing Prof. Makau of trying to do exactly what Ruto himself has been working hard on as part of his new political game plan, widen as much as possible the chasm between himself and the Prime Minister?

he he he ;D ;D ;D
Add this one to the list of bogus claims by ruto.

This is not the first time the good professor is attacking me through the media with his right hand man Miguna Miguna who has since parted ways with Prime Minister Raila Odinga.



Hon Miguna is the right hand man of makau? since when? But a crocksh!t is this?

All of a sudden ruto malicious uncalled for, baseless attacks on the Rt Hon Prime Minister have kind of subsided.

He is now substituting policy differences for the hateful rhetoric of yore.

What a snake, no wonder the mafians are very wary of this guy. Note the panuarers here dont admire him but laud him only when he sticks it to the Rt Hon Prime Minister.

Apart from the referendum part I when ODM shellacked the mafiya wa mt kenya (with all their kiraitu Govt money and state machinery) and reduced them to smithereens, ruto has not been in the pro reform movement. So makau is correct.

ruto is desperately trying to reinvent himself but he is so done. Its time he was told he will never be a player of note again at the National level.

And by the way, why is he still talking as if he is in ODM?

[OtishOtish]

Makau is now to blame?

[adongo23456]

Folks,

I have read Ruto's piece and while he has rehearshed some of his well known view points a few things stand out. One of them is that the endless vitriol against Raila as the devil incarnate out to lock out people at the Hague, out to ruin the Kalenjins and being a dictator in ODM etc is missing. That is a good thing because most of it is outright lies which people are getting tired of.

There is a growing demand by Kenyans for politicians to tell them what they want to do and achieve for the country rather than who they want to fight. The G7/PNU/UDM/Blah Blah platform has all been on how to stop Raila. It has been their agenda number 1,2 and 3. It is not selling. And never mind that the group keeps popping up with new ways to unite and all of it looks very phony and the whole unity is to stop Raila. It is just tiresome. So in Ruto's article he has avoided that bridge to nowhere talk.

The other thing I noticed is Ruto finally acknowledging that human rights groups like KHRC of which Makau Mutua is the chairperson actually stand for democracy in Kenya. I would assume Ruto understands the historic role and significance of what the human rights groups do. Remember this is the same Ruto who just a while ago wanted the KNCHR suspended and its leaders investigated etc. I was actually surprised to see Ruto at the airport walking side by side with Hassan Omar when they received our good friend Al Amin Kimathi from Museveni's dungeon- Luzira Maximum Security prison in Kampala.

But to get to the bottom of this new Ruto thinking I think one has to read this piece together with the other piece posted by major, which is a report of a meeting between Ruto and a group of Kalenjin professionals. That report is an important take on the direction things are taking specifically with regard to the issue of devolution and land which are the heart and soul of politics within the Kalenjin communities and indeed to all Kenyans. These kind of issues transcend payuka politics.

People have real problems and the new constitution has given them new hope and they will not allow petty politics to kill their hopes. So far Uhuru's outright hostility to meaningful devolution has added to his resume as one of those who think the new constitution is just a useless piece of paper which he can use in the washroom. Kenyans will not entertain that attitude.

Ruto has also pointed out a few things that are true. Ruto is a founder member of ODM. That is a fact. In 2005 Ruto teamed with Raila, Kalonzo, Uhuru and others to stop Kibaki from imposing a constitution on Kenyans. It was a monumental battle which started at Bomas. Ruto was also a very active supporter of a democratic constitution at the Bomas III Conference. I attended Bomas briefly and was there to see a lot of team work with Ruto and people like Kajwang', Martin Shikuku and others working so hard to ensure that the Kibaki turn coat katiba which he wanted to impose after being elected was stopped in its tracks.

Many people here in Jukwaa used to lambast adongo ogony and others asking how on earth we would be supporting Ruto and still claim we were human rights activists. They accused us of being cosy with Ruto because he was now supporting Raila. I told them their argument was ridiculous. Ruto was defending the rights of Kenyans to a democratic constitution, something Kenyans had fought for for decades, why would that be a bad thing.

A million times I argued here in jukwaa that fighting for a new constitution has nothing to do with supporting Raila. I insisted that the constitution was not for Raila and all Kenyans should fight for it. I reminded people that even though we were very much aware of Ruto's past transgressions he had earned the respect of Kenyans based on his solid stand on a new katiba and nobody could or should take that away from him. I took the same stand in 2007 when Ruto teamed up with Raila and others for the ODM ticket. Those debates are right here in our archives.

Soon after the mayhem of 2007 we went to battle again. Myself and job were at the forefront questioning the idea that ODM had planned mass murder all along. We thought and argued that the violence was spontaneous and was a result of the electoral theft. We wondered how a party that was going to form a new government could try to do so after mass murder. All that is now water under the bridge. Whatever happened in the PEV is now upto the ICC to sort out and we will live with the results.

In a nutshell, the war between Ruto and Raila has been a manufactured war and Ruto of all the people knows the truth. If he is ready to deal with that truth that is good for him. As to the political alliances for 2012 I have said a million times that anybody telling you they know which alliances will emerge to contest the 2012 elections is a liar. Nobody including the politicians have any clue as to what will happen next year. That is just a fact of life. Politics is a living organism. It changes every second.

[OtishOtish]

Kalenjins are being sensible and thinking of a Plan B. Ruto is waking up to the fact that Raila for breakfast, Raila for lunch, and Raila for dinner is achieving nothing. He now needs to claw his way back, and claiming that the real problem is another person is a "dignified" way of doing so.

[kasuku]

Sept 16, 2011 18:11:19 GMT 3 adongo23456 said:

Folks,

I have read Ruto's piece and while he has rehearshed some of his well known view points a few things stand out. One of them is that the endless vitriol against Raila as the devil incarnate out to lock out people at the Hague, out to ruin the Kalenjins and being a dictator in ODM etc is missing. That is a good thing because most of it is outright lies which people are getting tired of.

There is a growing demand by Kenyans for politicians to tell them what they want to do and achieve for the country rather than who they want to fight. The G7/PNU/UDM/Blah Blah platform has all been on how to stop Raila. It has been their agenda number 1,2 and 3. It is not selling. And never mind that the group keeps popping up with new ways to unite and all of it looks very phony and the whole unity is to stop Raila. It is just tiresome. So in Ruto's article he has avoided that bridge to nowhere talk.

The other thing I noticed is Ruto finally acknowledging that human rights groups like KHRC of which Makau Mutua is the chairperson actually stand for democracy in Kenya. I would assume Ruto understands the historic role and significance of what the human rights groups do. Remember this is the same Ruto who just a while ago wanted the KNCHR suspended and its leaders investigated etc. I was actually surprised to see Ruto at the airport walking side by side with Hassan Omar when they received our good friend Al Amin Kimathi from Museveni's dungeon- Luzira Maximum Security prison in Kampala.

But to get to the bottom of this new Ruto thinking I think one has to read this piece together with the other piece posted by major, which is a report of a meeting between Ruto and a group of Kalenjin professionals. That report is an important take on the direction things are taking specifically with regard to the issue of devolution and land which are the heart and soul of politics within the Kalenjin communities and indeed to all Kenyans. These kind of issues transcend payuka politics.

People have real problems and the new constitution has given them new hope and they will not allow petty politics to kill their hopes. So far Uhuru's outright hostility to meaningful devolution has added to his resume as one of those who think the new constitution is just a useless piece of paper which he can use in the washroom. Kenyans will not entertain that attitude.

Ruto has also pointed out a few things that are true. Ruto is a founder member of ODM. That is a fact. In 2005 Ruto teamed with Raila, Kalonzo, Uhuru and others to stop Kibaki from imposing a constitution on Kenyans. It was a monumental battle which started at Bomas. Ruto was also a very active supporter of a democratic constitution at the Bomas III Conference. I attended Bomas briefly and was there to see a lot of team work with Ruto and people like Kajwang', Martin Shikuku and others working so hard to ensure that the Kibaki turn coat katiba which he wanted to impose after being elected was stopped in its tracks.

Many people here in Jukwaa used to lambast adongo ogony and others asking how on earth we would be supporting Ruto and still claim we were human rights activists. They accused us of being cosy with Ruto because he was now supporting Raila. I told them their argument was ridiculous. Ruto was defending the rights of Kenyans to a democratic constitution, something Kenyans had fought for for decades, why would that be a bad thing.

A million times I argued here in jukwaa that fighting for a new constitution has nothing to do with supporting Raila. I insisted that the constitution was not for Raila and all Kenyans should fight for it. I reminded people that even though we were very much aware of Ruto's past transgressions he had earned the respect of Kenyans based on his solid stand on a new katiba and nobody could or should take that away from him. I took the same stand in 2007 when Ruto teamed up with Raila and others for the ODM ticket. Those debates are right here in our archives.

Soon after the mayhem of 2007 we went to battle again. Myself and job were at the forefront questioning the idea that ODM had planned mass murder all along. We thought and argued that the violence was spontaneous and was a result of the electoral theft. We wondered how a party that was going to form a new government could try to do so after mass murder. All that is now water under the bridge. Whatever happened in the PEV is now upto the ICC to sort out and we will live with the results.

In a nutshell, the war between Ruto and Raila has been a manufactured war and Ruto of all the people knows the truth. If he is ready to deal with that truth that is good for him. As to the political alliances for 2012 I have said a million times that anybody telling you they know which alliances will emerge to contest the 2012 elections is a liar. Nobody including the politicians have any clue as to what will happen next year. That is just a fact of life. Politics is a living organism. It changes every second.

[kamalet]

Adongo and revisionism!!

My reading of the Ruto article was that he was arguing about this notion of defining reformists in a narrow prism whilst indeed Ruto has a different view of reforms and he actually lists out reforms he initiated when he was a minister. You will notice that Adongo gives this issue a wide berth and as is typical concentrates on matters Raila!

Adongo ignores the fact that Ruto claims that his differences with Raila are not ideological (and I guess considering none has an ideology the disagreement is unnecessary) but really something personal between the two politicians!

Reading Ruto's article I was actually impressed at how he runs the guilt on Makau and his friend now parted Miguna Miguna and basically paints them as Raila poodles out on a mission!

[adongo23456]

Sept 16, 2011 19:55:05 GMT 3 kamalet said:

Adongo and revisionism!!

My reading of the Ruto article was that he was arguing about this notion of defining reformists in a narrow prism whilst indeed Ruto has a different view of reforms and he actually lists out reforms he initiated when he was a minister. You will notice that Adongo gives this issue a wide berth and as is typical concentrates on matters Raila!

Adongo ignores the fact that Ruto claims that his differences with Raila are not ideological (and I guess considering none has an ideology the disagreement is unnecessary) but really something personal between the two politicians!

Reading Ruto's article I was actually impressed at how he runs the guilt on Makau and his friend now parted Miguna Miguna and basically paints them as Raila poodles out on a mission!

Kamale,

What revisionism? adongo always deals with people as they come not as I wish them to be. I don't buy your idea of "narrow" reforms. If we go that route then if you build a clean toilet in your compound you become a reformer! Of what? A reformer of toilets!

Let's not polute the concept of reforms in the country. People have given their lives for some of the basic rights we enjoy today including the right to free speech. Ruto knows very well that his YK92 thugs busted the heads of those who engaged in free speech against his then beloved Moi. I didn't see any need to rehash those well known facts.

My point in the piece is that Ruto sounded much more sane than he has been in the last little while and that to me is progress.

When I talk about the battles we had right here in jukwaa when you particularly wanted Ruto dead as the man who helped kill Kikuyus in Rift valley and who planned, with the rest of ODM, the expulsion of Kikuyus from RV, I am just stating a fact. I still recall you telling us that God is great for having made sure ODM was not in power otherwise Kikuyus would have been wiped out of Rift Valley. I reminded you then that God did not rob the elections for Kibaki. He did it himself.

May be now that some of you need Ruto to prop up muthamaki you forget those issues but the archives don't lie. So we know the revisionists who now pretend to love Ruto when only a couple of years ago they wanted him dead.

I think it is rather silly to think that Prof. Makau Mutua is somehow a Raila stooge. That is cheap thinking and I understand it is the only way some people can view things. It is not their mistake. It is just their limitation. I understand that and that is why I did not bother with that.

So I will deal with Ruto or anybody else as they come. That is why I embraced Ruto when he went to battle to defeat Kibaki's mongrel katiba which was just bad for the country. I thought that was a very patriotic thing for him to do. If Ruto today is involved in any other acts to advance the interests of the nation, he will have my support again. If on the other hand he is engaged in matters to destroy the nation like being found to have been involved in the PEV, he can count me as an enemy. I am very comfortable in either role. sawa?

[OtishOtish]

Ruto needs to find a way back in without appearing "unmanly" or a "traitor" to the unthinking masses who have supported his misguided quarrels with Raila. Pointing the finger elsewhere is one way to do that.

[morimax]

It will be too early to say that Ruto is warming back to RAO. How about ruto's Lawyers trying to implicated RAO at the hague and Charles Keter still trying the same. Could ruto be strategizing himself to bring down ODM at the hague?

[job]

I get the feeling Ruto is slowly realizing his own constituency and the rest of the country is beginning to appreciate the reforms granted by the new constitution he vehemently opposed. A new and beautiful Judiciary is unveiling right before their eyes. People are witnessing new public ethos and format for making public appointments ( that respects gender and regional diversity). Mashinani folks are anxiously waiting for the implementation of devolution.


Amongst his own Kalenjin, the article Adongo cites alludes to restlessness among Kalenjin professionals, who are beginning to critically interogate the direction Ruto seeks to take them. They are certainly suggesting they don't want to repeat the same historical mistake, by supporting Kenya's land aristocrats (the Kenyattas) sitting on land the size of Nyanza province (a lot of it in land-starved Rift Valley). They don't wish to play fools, instead they are looking at prospects offered by the new constitution (land, devolution etc) and asses.sing who has the will and guts to implement them fully. They probably already know Ruto's Presidential candidacy is a dud meant to hoodwink the gullible.


Ruto on his part, has to try shrugging off the anti-Katiba, anti-reform tag that's virtually imprinted on his forehead. He has to start the narrative by making the broadbrush statement that all current leaders are no reformists. He hopes people will neither pay attention to the Republic of Kenya vs. William Ruto case on fraudulent land dealings at Ngong forest, nor the serious ICC Prosecutor vs. William Ruto case over murder, forceful evictions, and persecution during the post election violence.


Ruto's narrative tries to redefine the word reform. He seems to suggest that hard work, or effectiveness (even if accompanied by corruption and other crimes) still counts for reform. That must be a heck of strange reform. According to Ruto, his own self-appraised record at the Agriculture & Higher Education Ministries qualifies him to be a foremost reformer.


In fact, Ruto is going a notch higher in this false narrative. He is trying to steal the reform mantle from real reformers. He dismisses all of them as having failed (despite delivering the new constitution he opposed). Believe it or not, Ruto wants to launch the thrid liberation, with himself leading the third reform struggle.


If you doubt this, read Joshua Kutuny’s op-ed in the Daily Nation. I’m dead serious, Joshua Kutuny had an op-ed on reforms in the Daily Nation’s editorial page - and pay attention to his last paragraph.

www.nation.co.ke/oped/Opinion/We+have+had+a+false+start/-/440808/1236958/-/item/0/-/ahb1py/-/index.html

Kutuny's closing paragraph:

The leaders of the second liberation have failed Kenyans. For how long shall we make promises that we have no intention of fulfilling? Should we now agitate for a third liberation?

[b6k]

Morimax, what an interesting twist to the tale you weave. If it's true as Major said on another thread that Ruto paid his ODM dues yesterday after a long break, it is entirely plausible he is setting up ODM for a fall. Which dunderhead accepted his cash or cheque? They could've stalled saying they're out of receipt books.

If Ruto is conducting a sting operation on RAO they better start frisking him for Githongo type recording gadgets. Letting the fox back in the chicken coop at this stage may be a serious blunder, no matter how badly you want his votes.

From Ruto's perspective he better have superior sting operation skills to the hapless PLO because his life depends upon it.

[moesha]

Sept 16, 2011 22:40:41 GMT 3 morimax said:

It will be too early to say that Ruto is warming back to RAO. How about ruto's Lawyers trying to implicated RAO at the hague and Charles Keter still trying the same. Could ruto be strategizing himself to bring down ODM at the hague?

That's exactly what I was thinking. Just the other day, they were trying to implicate RAO in their madness and now all of a sudden he wants to try and make nice. This is either just another tactic of trying to get in and gather more information, or Ruto has finally realised that he is going down. G7 is no more, and Uhuru, Kalonzo and Saitoti have just signed an agreement that they would join together with one person at the top to go against ODM. There is no one else to turn to other than ODM.

[politicalmaniac]

Sept 17, 2011 0:45:08 GMT 3 moesha said:

That's exactly what I was thinking. Just the other day, they were trying to implicate RAO in their madness and now all of a sudden he wants to try and make nice. This is either just another tactic of trying to get in and gather more information, or Ruto has finally realised that he is going down. G7 is no more, and Uhuru, Kalonzo and Saitoti have just signed an agreement that they would join together with one person at the top to go against ODM. There is no one else to turn to other than ODM.

ruto demonized the Rt Honn Prime Minister when it was convenient for him to do so while acting as a mafiyan tool.

When he wanted to be back to the cabinet he wrote a letter to the Rt On Prime Minister, begging for reappointment.
But Nothing doing, we really laughed at that pathetic attempt couched in his usual arrogance.

Now he has realized what an utter fool he has been, after having been played time and again by the mafiyans and esp muthamaki.

Why did ruto sell out his people's majimbo dream? That is one question he needs to answer to his people. They have realized that despite his immense political talents, hana msimamo on anything except the glorification of his name and the deep constant urge to satisfy his craving for power.