Ruto, Raila in Twitter war after Jacaranda chaos
Presidential candidates William Ruto and Raila Odinga have engaged in a war of words on Twitter following the chaos that marred the former’s political rally in Nairobi on Sunday.
At the event held at the Jacaranda grounds and graced by Ruto, Musalia Mudavadi and Moses Wetangula, police officers engaged youth in running battles in which scores, including aspiring area lawmaker Francis Mureithi, were injured.
Ruto has since blamed Odinga for orchestrating the violence. The DP did not, however, share proof.
Mr Kitendawili,the lord of violence, has done it again:Hired innocent,desperate & jobless young people,victims of his sabotage of the big4 jobs plan,to shed innocent blood in his eternal quest for power.What a shame on fathers day Mr father of violence.Freedom is coming Aug 9th.
— William Samoei Ruto, PhD (@WilliamsRuto) June 19, 2022
Odinga in his response hit back at Ruto, accusing him of, among other, issuing fake promises in his campaign meetings.
Mr Six months, for how long will you blame everyone for everything that befals you. It’s not okay to be rudderless, clueless and plan-less.
This country is slowly overcoming fraudsters and shortcuts that define your politics. Maliza uende.
There is no room for sympathy votes!
— Raila Odinga (@RailaOdinga) June 19, 2022
In a separate statement, United Democratic Alliance (UDA) a political outfit associated with the Deputy President blamed Embakasi East lawmaker Babu Owino for the chaos.
In a protest letter to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) chairman Wafula Chebukati, UDA secretary general Veronica Maina also blamed police officers for the chaos.
Maina maintains Mureithi had reserved and paid for the grounds, a statement Owino refutes.
“The erection of tents and sound at the event was supposed to take place on the eve of the rally but police barred the process. Our candidate was barred from setting up the venue in preparation for the public rally,” wrote Maina.
“The sequence and flow of the events will only lead to one simple conclusion that the National Police Service (NPS) is being used, misused and abused by Mr Owino.”
Mr Owino has Mr Mureithi of dishing handouts at the event.