Editor's Review

  • Speaking during an interview on Monday morning, Murkomen noted that Ruto holds the position of Deputy President, but claimed his functions are being performed by other people in government.

Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen has said Deputy President William Ruto should not be blamed for the failures of the Jubilee government in its second term.

Speaking during an interview on Monday morning, Murkomen noted that Ruto holds the position of Deputy President, but claimed his functions are being performed by other people in government.

He sensationally claimed Kenya’s current Deputy President is ODM Leader Raila Odinga.

“Ruto cannot be blamed for what has happened to Kenya in the past 4 years. He is not part of this administration, he is there, but de facto he is not in office. The real deputy President at the moment is Raila Odinga,” Murkomen opined.

Murkomen made the remarks in relation to Odinga’s close working relationship with President Uhuru Kenyatta following their March 2018 handshake.

Since the handshake, President Kenyatta and Raila have had numerous meetings and even inspected and rolled infrastructure projects together.


File image of President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga. [Photo: Courtesy]

Prior to the Coronavirus pandemic, Cabinet Secretaries on several occasions visited Odinga’s office in Capitol Hill and reportedly briefed him on government projects, creating speculation that he had been allocated some role in President Kenyatta’s government.

The former Premier has, however, on several occasions dismissed claims that he is part of the government, noting that his handshake with the president was for unity purposes and not selfish political gains.

The ODM leader has also made it clear that his name should not be tagged along when criticizing Jubilee’s failure to deliver on all its promises.

“Now those who did crime are now shifting blame saying Raila is the crime doer, Raila is not part of the government. They have failed to deliver now he (Ruto) wants to put blame on me.

“Whose government is this? Isn’t it for Uhuru and Ruto? How come he says this baby is Raila’s?” he posed at a past event.