This archive report was first published on 11 November 2021.
Deputy President William Ruto praised his archrival in the 2022 presidential election, Raila Odinga, for running a national political party, despite the dominance of tribal outfits in Kenya's political landscape.
Speaking ahead of a visit to Kisumu's Kondele area, where Odinga enjoys a fanatical following, Ruto said Odinga had strived to run the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party, born out of the national 'No' campaign in the 2005 referendum, with a national outlook.
"I must applaud Raila for the national outlook party he has run for the past many years," Ruto said.
However, Ruto defended his decision to form the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) following the escalation of wrangles within the governing Jubilee Party, formed in 2017 following a merger of several parties, including his United Republican Party and President Uhuru Kenyatta's The National Alliance.
Ruto, who was at the centre of a campaign to fold allied parties in 2017 to craft a joint outfit, maintained his call for the merger of smaller parties to form national political movements.
He claimed other candidates eying the presidency in 2022 were running village outfit parties, saying, "How can you be a presidential candidate with a village party?"
Ruto said the country will only achieve inclusivity "if we have bigger parties," and that the proponents of the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) constitutional review process, co-led by President Kenyatta and Odinga, were pushing for inclusivity aimed at creating few positions for individuals.
"Those selling the idea that inclusivity can be achieved through creating many positions in the government is misleading Kenyans and will institutionalize exclusivity," he said.
He said the UDA party will retain a national outlook and encouraged his competitors to disband their village political parties and form bigger parties.
Ruto also said he is ready to accept results of the 2022 presidential election if defeated, saying, "After all, it is my competitors who have a history of not accepting defeat, I don't have problems accepting the defeat,"
During the visit, Ruto took the journalists through what his administration portends for Nyanza region, noting that the Jubilee government has done its part in enhancing service delivery to the people of Nyanza.
He said, "When we took over power in 2013, around 42,000 households in Kisumu were connected to power, now the number is 242,000," and announced plans to build a ring road around Lake Victoria to bitumen standards.
"I am in talks with development partners to see the ring road from Busia all the way to Migori tarmacked," he said, adding that the ring road will open up the lake region and spur growth in the fishing sector.
