Ruto: I understood the 'deep state and scuttled their rigging plans'
President William Ruto addresses a crowd at Kagio in Kirinyaga County after he launched a water project at the start of his five-day tour of Mt Kenya region on August 5, 2023.
President William Ruto has revealed that he was well aware of the 'deep state' in the previous government and that there is no way he would have lost the 2022 presidential election.
Addressing Kiburu residents in Ndia constituency, Kirinyaga County yesterday, Dr Ruto said he had warned the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition that he was aware of what was happening in the Jubilee government.
Dr Ruto said there were orchestrated plans to manipulate the outcome of the election in favour of his main political rival, Mr Raila Odinga, but he quashed them due to his vast knowledge of the 'deep state'.
"I told them there is no deep state that I do not understand. There is no system that I personally don't understand. I even knew that they were planning to steal our votes and I told them that their mission was impossible. They tried and failed miserably. Now they think they can push us until they have a share in the government. Whose government do they want to join?" Dr Ruto said.
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"We have removed the taxes imposed on the tea and coffee sector in the Finance Bill 2023. I have told them (the opposition) that they cannot confuse us. If you judge me very well, do I look like a person who can be distracted? If they could not defeat us when they were a duo (Raila and Uhuru), do they think this man (Raila) can defeat me now? Let them know that they will not get a coalition government. We are very focused on serving Kenyans and that is all," he added.
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua alleged that the former regime used Sagana State Lodge as a venue to strategise on how to terrorise Dr Ruto, who was then Deputy President, and plan to stop him from ascending to the presidency.
"It is at Sagana State Lodge that the former regime planned to stop Ruto from becoming president and tarnish his name. Today, he is the man who will spend a night at the same Sagana State Lodge. Now the State Lodge will be used as a base for planning the economic development of our nation," said Mr Gachagua.
Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi said the opposition was disorganised and trying to sneak into government.
"In President Ruto's plan that he shared with us, it does not say anywhere that we should help some people to form the opposition. It is not the responsibility of the Kenya Kwanza government to organise the opposition. If they are disorganised, it is not the problem of the Kenya Kwanza government," Mudavadi said.
"They say they want inclusivity. When they selected their representatives for this committee, why did they exclude the leadership of Azimio from Mt Kenya? They are just crooks and self-centred," he added.
On Sunday, August 6, Dr Ruto will host an interdenominational prayer service at Sagana State Lodge and later chair a meeting with all leaders from the Mt Kenya region.
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This is the same venue where the Head of State will chair a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
On Monday, the President will commission the Ichamara-Kariti road upgrade at Mukurwe-ini and the Kaigonji and Othaya water projects in Tetu. Later in the day, he will open a bus park terminus in Nyeri town to ease traffic congestion.
On Tuesday, he will open the new Kenya Cooperative Creameries (KCC) plant in Kiganjo and later hold a special conference with regional leaders at Sagana State Lodge.
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On Wednesday, he will open a 175-bed level four hospital in Naromoru and officiate at the groundbreaking of the Gichugu affordable housing project in Kirinyaga County.
He will conclude the tour by witnessing the groundbreaking of another affordable housing project in Thika, Kiambu County, before returning to State House in Nairobi.
