Kenya ruling party's V-C tears into Deputy President

NAIROBI Kenya

Kenya's ruling party (Jubilee) vice chairman David Murathe(pictured right) has denied that he has a personal issue with Deputy President William Ruto.

The former Gatanga MP, however, said that the DP has been 'tested under probation' and it was established that he is not the right choice to take over from President Uhuru Kenyatta.

According to Murathe, President Uhuru will ensure that the country will be put under safe hands after he completes his term in 2022.

“He (Ruto) has been on probation, he has been tested and during that time they were trying to see if he would take over, but look the jury is out there,” Murathe said during an interview with Citizen TV on Tuesday night.

He went on, “When you are the president, you have an obligation to look around and determine who is the right person to take over from you......when you leave the country in the wrong hands people will blame you.”

Murathe said that like what former President Daniel Arap Moi did in 2002 when he bypassed his then Vice President George Saitoti, Uhuru will be careful about his successor.

"I have no problem with Ruto's candidature. But I don't think he is the right person to succeed President Uhuru given the way he has behaved as deputy President,” he said.

Murathe said the DP has been haunted by several graft allegations, and this does not give him the necessary credentials to inherit the presidency.

“Look at the scandals, the Weston Hotel land, the Ruai public land....when all these things follow you and you shamelessly walk around while you are number two, what will you do when you become number one?” Murathe said.

His statement came even as he was linked to a man at the centre of the Kemsa tender scandal.

Murathe acknowledged knowing the man - William Gachoka - linked to Kilig Ltd, which was allegedly awarded a tender to supply Kemsa with 450,000 personal protective kits.

However, he said, "I have absolutely nothing to do with Kilig..."