Eldoret North MP William Ruto has maintained he will contest the presidency in next year’s elections.
Mr Ruto reiterated URP was his preferred party, effectively putting to rest reports that he was considering being Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta’s running mate.He said talks with Uhuru and other presidential aspirants (Prime Minister Raila Odinga and Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi) are about ensuring peaceful elections on March 4.
“We have been talking about how to compete without creating enmity
among Kenyans. We don’t want to create tribalism or conflict of
religions as we go for the presidency,” he stated.
Ruto spoke at his Nairobi home when he received 22 civic leaders from Samburu County who defected to URP. Nineteen councillors were from ODM, two from Kanu and one from Safina.
Present were URP officials led by party chairman Francis ole Kaparo. About two weeks ago, Ruto raised political eyebrows by holding talks with Mudavadi shortly after meeting Raila.
Interestingly, the URP aspirant was a week earlier at the centre of another meeting bringing together Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka and Uhuru of The National Alliance.
On Wednesday, Ruto said he was going to work with “like-minded” parties, but in a structured coalition framework. When asked by journalists if he would still go for presidency even with his case at the International Criminal Court, Ruto said he sees nothing wrong with it.
“A president can go to court and answer charges. What is wrong with that,” he posed. Ruto added that he would not have a problem going to The Hague even when president.
“I can run other affairs of the country even when I am there. We are living in an ICT world,” he stated.
He reiterated that he was free to talk to all presidential aspirants as he chases his ambitions.
Questions have been asked if Ruto is seeking a new alliance, possibly with Raila or Mudavadi, or simply trying out his luck to have them support him.
On Wednesday, Ruto said rumours that he was considering to be Uhuru’s running mate were a creation of the media. He hinted that URP was likely to enter into a coalition pact after the elections.
“We must do it (unite) when we know we have more MPs, senators, governors and other seats,” he added. He continued: “Let us win almost every seat so that they know we are the majority.”
Ruto estimated that 60 per cent of civic leaders are now in URP, adding that the number is growing.
Mr Ruto reiterated URP was his preferred party, effectively putting to rest reports that he was considering being Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta’s running mate.He said talks with Uhuru and other presidential aspirants (Prime Minister Raila Odinga and Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi) are about ensuring peaceful elections on March 4.
“We have been talking about how to compete without creating enmity
among Kenyans. We don’t want to create tribalism or conflict of
religions as we go for the presidency,” he stated.Ruto spoke at his Nairobi home when he received 22 civic leaders from Samburu County who defected to URP. Nineteen councillors were from ODM, two from Kanu and one from Safina.
Present were URP officials led by party chairman Francis ole Kaparo. About two weeks ago, Ruto raised political eyebrows by holding talks with Mudavadi shortly after meeting Raila.
Interestingly, the URP aspirant was a week earlier at the centre of another meeting bringing together Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka and Uhuru of The National Alliance.
On Wednesday, Ruto said he was going to work with “like-minded” parties, but in a structured coalition framework. When asked by journalists if he would still go for presidency even with his case at the International Criminal Court, Ruto said he sees nothing wrong with it.
“A president can go to court and answer charges. What is wrong with that,” he posed. Ruto added that he would not have a problem going to The Hague even when president.
“I can run other affairs of the country even when I am there. We are living in an ICT world,” he stated.
He reiterated that he was free to talk to all presidential aspirants as he chases his ambitions.
Questions have been asked if Ruto is seeking a new alliance, possibly with Raila or Mudavadi, or simply trying out his luck to have them support him.
On Wednesday, Ruto said rumours that he was considering to be Uhuru’s running mate were a creation of the media. He hinted that URP was likely to enter into a coalition pact after the elections.
“We must do it (unite) when we know we have more MPs, senators, governors and other seats,” he added. He continued: “Let us win almost every seat so that they know we are the majority.”
Ruto estimated that 60 per cent of civic leaders are now in URP, adding that the number is growing.
