BBI, 2022 politics to take centre stage as Ruto, Raila meet at a funeral in Kisii

The high stakes Building Bridges Initiative and 2022 succession politics will take centre stage today during the burial of the father of Kisii Deputy Governor Joash Maangi.

Maangi is a close ally of Deputy President (DP) William Ruto while his boss James Ongwae, who was recently elected the Council of Governors vice-chair, is a key supporter of Orange Democratic movement leader, Raila Odinga.

DP Ruto and Raila --who has been championing the BBI referendum proposal -- will be attending the burial where they are expected to trade barbs over the Jubilee administration's scorecard and President Uhuru Kenyatta’s sharp criticism of his deputy whom he has accused of being dishonest and an enemy of the Mt Kenya region, the vote-rich bloc he is banking on to clinch presidency in 2022.

In various meetings with politicians and opinion leaders from the area, the Head of State portrayed Ruto as an impatient and conniving politician who cannot be trusted with the region’s future.

In a campaign to consolidate his political backyard and sell the BBI project, the President accused his deputy of deceit.

From allegedly frustrating proposals to have Mt Kenya region benefit through equity in revenue sharing, misleading local leaders and voters through handouts to giving false promises in order to win the region’s support for his 2022 bid, Uhuru fell short of describing the DP as a person who does not deserve the country’s top job.

Speaking in Chaka, Nyeri county, on Sunday, Uhuru rubbished the narrative that BBI was meant to favour the ODM leader who has been a close ally of the President since their political truce in 2018.

He also wondered why Ruto donates wheelbarrows to young people instead of supporting policies that would give them a decent income.

“It has been claimed that BBI is meant to help Raila. What help does Raila want? Someone who is almost 76 years old.

You claim this document is for Raila, which ward does he represent in Ruiru? If more money is allocated to Ruiru, will it benefit Raila or the people of Ruiru? That is nonsense,” Uhuru said.

“You claim you are the solution to the young people, you are giving them wheelbarrows, who told you that they need wheelbarrows?

They need jobs, they want to be self-dependent,” the President added in a direct attack on Ruto and his allies.

This was the second time Uhuru was taking his war with the DP in his backyard, having done so two weeks ago through Gikuyu radio stations, where he claimed stolen money was being used to fight BBI.