NAIROBI, Kenya Sep 6 – Former Nyeri Town Member of Parliament Ngunjiri Wambugu has faulted President Uhuru Kenyatta for not congratulating the incoming President-Elect William Ruto.
While commenting on the Supreme Court’s verdict, the outgoing head of state failed to congratulate Ruto or even mention his name on his speech.
Wambugu however opines that despite the defeat, the Head of State ought to have congratulated him.
“But in the respect of the 7.1M who IEBC say they voted for Ruto and to help Kenya move forward as one united indivisible nation state, Uhuru really should have congratulated Ruto,” he said.
President Kenyatta, the patron of the Azimio Coalition Party which fielded Raila Odinga as its presidential candidate only said he will uphold the rule of law and ensure compliance to the verdict.
“When I was sworn in as your President I made a pledge to the country: a pledge to uphold the rule of law and the decisions made by the Judiciary on all matter pertaining to our governance,” President Kenyatta remarked.
“Today the Supreme Court made a ruling on the presidential dispute upholding the results announced by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) on August 15. And in keeping to the pledge that I made to uphold the rule of law when I took the oath of office, I commit to executing the orders of this court to the latter,” he said.
The 7-minute speech shared by State House hours after Ruto’s address to the nation came even as reports emerged that Ruto’s call to President Kenyatta went unanswered.
Ruto had indicated he would be making a phone call to the President with whom he had not talked to for months to discuss transition matters.
“I will shortly be putting a call to my friend President Uhuru Kenyatta. I haven’t talked to him in months but shortly I will be doing a call to him so that we can have a conversation on the transition,” Ruto stated sarcastically in an apparent jibe.
Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza Alliance adherents have read into the silence or failure to communicate with the President-Elect as signs of the possibility that the Head of State might skip the inauguration of his estranged deputy which is slated for September 13 by law.
“I know he has worked hard but the people of Kenya have made a decision and we have absolutely no issue with the democratic rights of Kenyans,” the President-Elect said.
“I take no offence that he decided to support somebody else, we will remain friends as we have been in the context of where we are,” he added.
President Kenyatta had in weeks leading to the election deescalated his rhetoric suggesting he would not hand over power to Ruto whom his camp has labeled as a thief, to whom the outgoing leader had earlier indicated would not have over to.
“I am very clear that I will not hand over power to a thief,” he once told a gathering at Nairobi’s Inland Container Depot in May 2019 in the company of Interior Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho.
With the Supreme Court having certified Ruto’s win in a unanimous decision, the Assumption of Office of President Committee chaired by Head of Public Service Joseph Kinyua is expected to swing into action and ensure a smooth transition come.
The committee whose core mandate is to facilitate a smooth transition from the current administration to the incoming administration held its inaugural meeting on August 12.
“Upon signing the certificate of inauguration, the outgoing President shall hand over to the President the following instruments of power and authority a sword; and the Constitution,” Section 14 of the Assumption to the Office of the President Act (2012) reads.
