DP Ruto: Uhuru's second term is a waste

Deputy President William Ruto has castigated President Uhuru Kenyatta's second term as a waste, adding that the party lost its focus after the 2017 elections.

Dr Ruto said that the current Jubilee administration is filled with people who believe that they 'own Kenya'. 

"Those who remained loyal to our founding vision within Jubilee were shunned, hounded, threatened and then persecuted. This is how we lost four years that would have gifted the brilliant blossoming of a beautiful  dream which inspired millions of Kenyans in 2013," he said.

While drumming up support for UDA, he said he will be accommodating to every Kenyan should he form the next government.

"This is the party for every Kenyan, from every walk of life. Here, you wont be asked about the name of your father. I am very proud to be given this responsibility to be the party leader. i will do his best to deliver on the party's ideals," he said.

Dr Ruto acknowledged his competitors including Tracy Wanjiru and Orina Nyakwama.

He said they are a sign that the youth are critical to the country's progress.

"They represent the future,and that is what our fundamental ethos of the party stand for," he said.

Dr Ruto also hit out at his competitors, noting that he was prepared and ready to move Kenya to the highest level.

He thanked President Uhuru Kenyatta for the working relationship that they have had, arguing that he had  performed his tasks as required.

"President Kenyatta told me he needed space to work on his personal legacy. I obliged and this led to me being placed at the periphery. But during this 4 years , I was way, I was able to talk to people in the villages and listen to them so that I can do what they want," Dr Ruto said, adding that he remains the deputy president.

Dr Ruto took credit  modern 700km long Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), 10, 000km  of roads , and connected 6 million people to electricity.

"We also constructed over 150 technical teaching institutions. We rolled out a comprehensive UHC to complete a task of transforming Kenya that we were assigned in 2013," he said.

He hit out at Jubilee party for forgetting the 'original covenant, opting to oppress Kenyans through punitive economic policies.

"From 2017 the party backpedaled on its foundational commitment including its foundational covenant.  The party rejected national inclusiveness and the based transformative leadership. It instead embraced parochial, ethnic divisive and retrogressive politics," he said.

He added: "It defaulted to tribe as the organizing variable of our politics and governance. It privatized governance and weaponized obligations policy and institutions. It pursued personal politics of congregating an entitled few to express their individual wishes as community interests and translate their private consensus as national policy.

Earlier, the DP took an oath to accept his endorsement as the presidential candidate of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) at the party's National Delegates Conference (NDC).

He has pledged  to discharge his duties and perform his functions as the party's presidential candidate. The oath was administered by a team of lawyers.

Delegates endorsed Dr Ruto to be the party's presidential candidate in the August polls.

This after a motion was moved by the National Executive Council (NEC).

According to the party's secretary general Veronica's Maina two other candidates who applied has been rejected on various grounds.

His acceptance to be the parties flag bearer came minutes after he was proposed by John Wanjiku, Kiambaa MP and first UDA elected MP to be the party presidential candidate. Sophie Nekoye Waliaula from Bungoma, and UDA member  0886 seconded the proposal.

As the party's presidential candidate , Ruto has also been given the power to discuss, negotiate and enter into coalition agreement with other parties.