Ruto Talks on Hate Leaflets in Rift Valley
Written by RadioVuna on August 4, 2022
Deputy President William Ruto has tasked his boss President Uhuru Kenyatta and other state agencies to address the issue of circulation of hate leaflets which are reportedly used to threaten residents in the Rift Valley region.
In a press address on Thursday, Ruto claimed that he was privy to information that leaflets were distributed to communities this week, warning them of possible chaos in the August polls.
According to the Kenya Kwanza flag-bearer, the leaflets are aimed to cause panic among communities and bar them from turning up to vote.
“Sometime this week leaflets were distributed warning communities the same old stuff that has taken Kenya through a lot of pain,” said Ruto.
“The people behind these leaflets are known by the State and the intention of the leaflets is to cause panic in the population and create a situation that will foment citizens to go and vote.”
Ruto has now called on President Kenyatta and other security bodies to address the matter with urgency and bring the perpetrators to book, as it threatens the nation’s peace.
He accused his boss of being aware of the individuals involved in the circulation of the leaflets, among them county commissioners and Rift Valley county commissioner, and still opts to remain mum on the matter.
“We are asking his excellency the president, in his constitutional duty, to ensure that the country is safe and stop these people to plan the evil they are planning,” said Ruto.
“We want the Director General of the National Intelligence Service to tell the country what is going on. We cannot sit pretty and see the same things that happened in Kenya happening again,” he added.
“The regional commissioner of Rift Valley Maalim Mohammed, Trans Nzoia County Commissioner Samson Ojwang, and Stephen Kihara of Uasin Gishu, Erastus Mbui of Nakuru are the people holding night meetings to plan conflict amongst Kenyans and unfortunately the president of Kenya is aware.”
Mr. Ruto further discouraged leaders against the use of violence and threats to commandeer the elections to their favour, noting that the country would not want to have a case similar to that of 2007.
“We committed ourselves in 2007 that we will never again go back to the politics of ethnicity and division and violence. But they are people, having realised that they can’t win the elections, they want to cause conflict.”