A lot of people have been wondering what happened to William Ruto’s manifesto which was launched exactly two weeks ago today. He hasn’t said a word about it and the bottoms up talk has died being replaced by Ruto’s anger and how many people he wants to slap.
The other day Ruto came up with the weird idea that he and his buddies don’t slap women like Eugene Wamalwa, they slap men like Uhuru Kenyatta. The first thing that crossed my mind when I read that was just the sheer insult to women in our country.
What kind of people are in Ruto’s UDA? You just released the Women’s Charter a few weeks ago which of course you don’t remember but why insult women. They are our moms, sisters, and daughters. If Ruto doesn’t like them fine, but please leave them alone. Will you?
It reminded me of a tweet I saw from Miguna Miguna one of the anger managers it seems in the Ruto campaign. Miguna referring to Wamalwa’s statement about Ruto slap threats wrote that Ruto should have slapped “Eunice Wamalwa” changing the guy’s name to be that of a woman. Someone must have told Ruto about that and they thought it was a cute joke. Yes, it is but it is a joke on Ruto and his crowd. Not on Eugene Wamalwa.
Read: “No right to seek leadership by lying, insults, and theft,” Uhuru tells Ruto
I am glad William Ruto has now come openly to declare that being angry is actually his campaign strategy.
“Kenyans are not happy because their country is on the wrong path. We are angry and hungry because of the high cost of living and soaring fuel prices,” Ruto said.
“This is the anger that will drive Kenyans to vote for fresh, visionary and responsible government on August 9: Kenya Kwanza.”
Yesterday, Ruto’s anger exploded in Vihiga not on Uhuru or Raila as usual but on a citizen who dared to ask the king a few questions.
On Wednesday, the DP temporarily halted his speech and scolded a man that he claimed had disrespected him at a public rally in Vihiga.
“Tuwe na heshima. Kama kuna mtu ametumwa hapa kuja kuharibu mkutano mseme saa hii mapema ama muondoke kwa hii mkutano” (Let us have respect. If anyone has been sent here to cause chaos at this meeting, you better say or you all leave this meeting), he said.
He added: “Wewe kijana wacha kunijibu, unanijibu kama nani? Kama umeleta kisirani kwa hii mkutano utoke. Huwezi kuja hapa kuharibu mkutano” (Young man, stop answering me. You are answering me as who? If you want to disrupt this meeting you better leave. You can’t come here and disrupt our meeting).
On Thursday, the DP told Narok, Migori, Nyamira, and Kisii residents that his competitors were speaking about his anger because they lacked an agenda.
“They do not know what sleeping hungry is. They have no agenda, plan or policy. Right now, they are peddling lies that William Ruto is angry. If you broke our Big Four agenda, did you want us to laugh with you?” asked Dr. Ruto.
That is William Ruto speaking of people sleeping hungry. He knows about that very well. He is sleeping hungry right now. Not hungry for food but for power. That must hurt dearly. Pole sana.
And Mombasa looked good today. That is Nyali bridge right where I used to live at Tudor Four Island. Anger won’t win this election. Connecting with people will do it.
Adongo Ogony is a Human Rights Activist and a Writer who lives in Toronto, Canada
