President William Ruto has come out strongly to defend his deputy, Kithure Kindiki, dismissing criticism against him and praising his leadership.
Speaking on Sunday in Chuka, Ruto described Kindiki as a focused and hardworking leader who has remained committed to delivering development across the country.
He said the Deputy President has been actively supporting key government projects since taking office.
“Deputy President Kithure Kindiki is wise and a person who has vision. He does not have pride or disrespect. He is hard-working. Since he became the Deputy President, he has toured the country to help me with development projects like markets, roads, electricity, water and affordable housing,” Ruto said.
The President critizised leaders he accused of undermining Kindiki, warning that their actions would not succeed.
“I want to categorically state this when I’m in Chuka. There are people who have contempt and are rude. They look down upon Kindiki calling him names. I want to tell them, looking down upon him, but he exceeds you more than a hundred times,” he said.
Ruto urged critics to drop what he termed as ego, contempt and tribalism, adding that Kindiki holds his position both constitutionally and by divine will.
“Reduce contempt, ego, and tribalism because Kindiki is the Deputy President of Kenya by God’s grace. He is one person who is selfless and hard-working. I want to tell Deputy President Kithure Kindiki not to give them your time. Ignore those who look down upon you and don’t be worried by their insults. One day they will try to respect you but will not get the space; one day,” Ruto said.
Kindiki assumed office following the ouster of Rigathi Gachagua, a move that reshaped the country’s political dynamics. Since then, both leaders have been at the centre of competing political interests in the Mt Kenya region.
While Kindiki and his allies are urging residents to support Ruto’s re-election bid, Gachagua has been mobilising the same region to back the opposition.
The differences between the two camps were evident during a memorial service for the late Ol Kalou MP in Nyandarua County, where Gachagua criticised Kindiki over remarks he claimed were inappropriate.
“We don’t discuss inheriting somebody until he is buried. Hapo professor umeanguka kidogo, utarekebisha,” Gachagua said.
Kindiki, however, avoided direct confrontation and instead called for unity and respect. “I want to encourage that going forward as a community, as a nation, let us learn how to respect one another, families and communities alike,” he said.
“Let us put down political temperatures to allow mourning because we have a lot of opportunities to do politics outside the church,” he added.
The political rivalry continues to shape alignments in the vote-rich Mt Kenya region as leaders position themselves ahead of future elections.
