I have a case with you, Ruto tells Kondele residents

By Peter Ochieng

President William Ruto made a stopover at Kondele on Saturday, for the first time since his motorcade was stoned in 2021, at the height of campaigns ahead of the 2022 polls.

Ruto was then deputy president, and had to hurriedly leave as his motorcade was pelted with stones. Unlike three years ago, he was welcomed with jubilation and fanfare on the backdrop of endorsing ODM party leader Raila Odinga’s African Union Commission (AUC) chairmanship bid.

Addressing residents on Saturday on his way from commissioning the Kibos Rice mill, Ruto recounted the incident, adding that he has a ‘bone to chew’ with the residents.

"Watu wa Kondele, kumbe ni nyinyi? Niko na kesi kubwa na nyinyi watu wa Kondele. Mmenitesa sana,” said the president.

It translates to “The people of Kondele, is it you? I have a big case with you people of Kondele. You have really tormented me.”

"Mkiendelea kunitesa nitawashtaki kwa Baba na mkizidi nitawashtaki kwa Mungu. (If you continue tormenting me, I will report you to Baba (Raila Odinga), and if you don’t stop, I will report you to God).”

The Head of State thanked the former Prime Minister for helping him form a broad-based government, which he added, has helped to promote unity among Kenyans, after weeks of anti-government protests in June and July.

“I want to thank him while I am here in Kisumu for being a Kenyan patriot. For being a great leader, for putting aside our differences so that we can unite the country for the prosperity of our nation called Kenya," said Ruto.

Odinga ‘donated’ his four ODM stalwarts who have since been appointed Cabinet Secretaries to steady Kenya Kwanza administrations ship.

They are former ODM national chairman John Mbadi who is now the CS for finance, former leader of minority James Opiyo Wandayi, the current CS for energy and former ODM deputy party leaders Hassan Joho and Wycliffe Oparanya, who now lead the mining and cooperatives dockets respectively.