This archive report was first published on 8 September 2019.
Published on September 8, 2019, a group of Laikipia County leaders have rejected calls for a referendum, claiming it's a plot to block Deputy President William Ruto's 2022 presidential bid.
Laikipia Senator John Kinyua, Laikipia West Member of Parliament Patrick Mariru, Rumuruti MCA Joseph Suge, and former Cherangany MP Kipruto Arap Kirwa stated that a referendum is based on selfish political interests and would amount to dividing the country.
The leaders made their remarks at Emgwen Day Secondary School in Rumuruti during a fundraiser for the school's laboratory on Saturday.
According to the MPs, President Uhuru Kenyatta should honor an alleged 2012 agreement with DP Ruto, which reportedly stipulated that the former would rule for 10 years before being succeeded by the latter for the same period.
The leaders alleged that politicians opposed to a DP Ruto presidency want to use the referendum to 'get a position via the back door.'
Cherang'any MP Kipruto Arap Kirwa emphasized, 'This country belongs to all Kenyans as provided for by the constitution, and hence some leaders should not mislead the majority.'
