Ruto Unleashes Guns On Raila's Illegal Declaration Of Public Holiday

President William Ruto on Wednesday, March 15 ripped into the decision by Azimio la Umoja leader, Raila Odinga, to declare Monday, March 20 as a public holiday ahead of mass action.

Speaking during a meeting with leaders from the Western Region, the Head of State slammed the former Prime Minister for making up his own laws and claiming that he is above the Constitution of Kenya.

He further faulted him for forcing Kenyans to obey his own made-up laws through ultimatums and demonstrations as well as blackmail through chaos and violence while the rest of the country obeys laws etched in the Constitution.

"You cannot tell us that you have another set of laws that you make in your mind and pass in your thoughts and you want to tell us that you are above the law, that you do not recognise our Constitution, that you do not recognise the laws of Kenya.

Raila Odinga in Siaya County on March 15, 2023. /RAILA ODINGA

"You cannot tell us while the rest of us abide by the Constitution respect the laws of Kenya and faithfully submit to the authority and the constitution of the laws of Kenya. You want to tell us that you have your own set of laws that you enforce through ultimatums, demonstrations that you enforce by force and blackmail using chaos and violence. It cannot be the case," he addressed.

Ruto further accused Raila of trying to arm-twist the government into believing the claims by alleged whistleblowers of rigging in the August 9, 2022, general elections which Raila claimed he won and that failure to listen to the whistleblower claims would be met with severe consequences.

"You want to tell us, you have your own sets of laws where elections are decided by nameless, faceless, ghosts in the name of whistleblowers and that unless and until we submit to what the nameless and faceless ghosts have said, you are going to threaten us, blackmail us, organise demonstrations you're going to cause violence and chaos. It cannot be the case," he added.

He mocked Raila's newfound ambition to stage peaceful demonstrations across the country by alleging that history has seen him hold protests that have culminated in chaos and violence.

Ahead of the upcoming mass demos, the President urged Raila to consult with the police and Interior Cabinet Secretary (CS) Kithure Kindiki to decide on the game plan for the demos.

"Today you're telling us that you are organising peaceful demonstrations. We are waiting for them from this man that has never organised for one day, peaceful demonstrations. All the demos that he has staged for 40 years have been chaotic; people have had their property destroyed, businesses lost, and bloodshed and he has told us that he's changed, that today he has organised peaceful demonstrations.

"I don't have a problem as the President for him to organise peaceful demonstrations but I want to advise him to sit with the police and plan how the peaceful demonstrations will go," he went on.

Prime Cabinet Secretary (CS) Musalia Mudavadi backed President Ruto by slamming him for illegally declaring a public holiday, with the powers only falling to Kindiki's Ministry of Interior.

Mudavadi further accused him of impunity and double-speak for acting against the very Constitution he claimed to protect. He gave him two things to ponder before he proceeded to the streets.

"What are you going to do to the businesses that will lose income on that day? What are you going to do to the employees who will be forced to lose their jobs because you blocked them from going to work? Will you take over their household responsibilities?" he posed.

The sentiments were reiterated by National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang'ula who accused him of leading Kenyans astray for his own personal reasons.

Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya urged residents of his county to boycott the planned mass action and focus on putting food on their tables.

Raila's close ally and former Cabinet Minister Noah Wekesa declared support for the Kenya Kwanza administration, stating that he resonated with its policy.

Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua called out Odinga for being pretentious stating that he would have called for demonstrations during the end of President Uhuru Kenyatta's regime if he really meant well for Kenyans. 

The time to deal with Raila Odinga is now- DP Rigathi Gachagua#ViralVideos pic.twitter.com/FeN4rHzI23 — Viral Tea Ke (@ViralTeaKe) March 15, 2023