RUTO IS BACK

William Ruto returned from his Christmas vacation in Uganda and embarked on a series of meetings with civic leaders from Rift Valley Province at his Eldoret home.

The minister has been meeting the councillors since Tuesday as he drums up support for his 2012 presidential bid.

During the meetings, Mr Ruto reiterated he would not back down in his bid for the presidency in the next General Election.

He said he had attained the minimum requirements for a presidential candidate and would not be persuaded to back down.

"I have decided to throw my hat in the presidential ring as I strongly believe I have what it takes to occupy the high office. Besides, I meet the constitutional requirements of such a candidate," Ruto said.

He dismissed the Kalenjin, Kikuyu, Kamba (KKK) political alliance as a creation of the media and some politicians who wanted to portray Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka, Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta and himself in bad light.

"Besides Kalonzo and Uhuru, there are other senior politicians including Tourism Minister Najib Balala yet our working relationship is still regarded a tribal KKK affair," Ruto told the civic leaders.