Kenya's opposition chief backs president's call for DP to resign from government

NAIROBI, Kenya

Kenya’s opposition chief, Raila Odinga (pictured) has backed President Uhuru Kenyatta’s appeal to his deputy William Ruto to resign if he is not satisfied with the current government.

The former Prime Minister and leader of ODM party said it would be the honourable thing for any politician to do, extending the call to Jubilee MPs who have shifted allegiance to UDA.

“If you see things are not okay and you are a principled person, just say things are not okay and resign,” Raila said, citing the lot for hypocrisy.

“These MPs saying, they are in UDA and are still earning salary through Jubilee should also resign, go back to the people and defend seat with a new party.”

“That is called political principle, otherwise this is hypocrisy,” Raila said, adding that it was not the first time Kenya was having a Vice President.

“My father was the first VP. He did not wait to be sacked. When he saw that things had changed and was not being given assignments, he wrote a letter.”

Raila quoted his father’s letter which said, “I cannot justify earning public salary without responsibility. The future generation will look unkindly at me and because of this, I hereby tender resignation.”

He revisited the case where he stepped down as Langata MP to disassociate with the then sponsoring party’s links to the Goldenberg scandal.

“When I was Langata MP under Ford Kenya, we saw the problem of Goldenberg… I said I couldn’t continue being MP under Ford Kenya and resigned.”

“I said I would return with another party …and contested my seat on an NDP ticket and I was re-elected.”

For the first time on Monday, Uhuru bluntly asked Ruto to resign and concentrate on his 2022 election campaigns, instead of fighting the government from within.

“The honourable thing is that if you are not happy… step aside and allow those who want to move on to do so,” Uhuru told Ruto, saying there is no way the DP can have his cake and eat it. 

Uhuru (L) bluntly asked Ruto (R) to resign and concentrate on his 2022 election campaigns, instead of fighting the government from within.

"You can’t on one hand say I am not going and at the same time you don’t agree [with the government] …You must decide and be principled in this respect so that you don’t confuse people that on one hand you want to praise the government and yet on the other side of your mouth you’re talking another language.” 

However, in what clearly marks the last stages of an acrimonious divorce, Ruto on Tuesday vowed he will not quit the government he jointly formed with the President.

Addressing two separate functions in Nairobi and Taita Taveta, Ruto said it is foolhardy for anyone to think that he can resign when he played a key role in winning the polls in both 2013 and 2017.