Uhuru: Rivals behind my woes

Deputy prime minister Uhuru Kenyatta (right) confers with Kangundo MP Johnstone Muthama (left) at the Boulevard Hotel, Nairobi March 12, 2011. Mr Kenyatta blamed his woes on political rivals. PAUL WAWERU 

By NATION Reporter
Posted Saturday, March 12 2011 at 15:32

Deputy prime minister Uhuru Kenyatta has accused his political rivals of being behind his woes.

Speaking at a public function in Thika Saturday, Mr Kenyatta said his predicament was instigated by his detractors out to eliminate him from the presidential race but vowed to turn tables on them.

“Every Kenyan knows who instigated the 2007 violence. I have no fear because I did not do anything wrong.  Some people think they can ride on the woes of others  to get to the top, wasahau (forget it)," he said.

Mr Kenyatta is among six prominent Kenyans named by the International Criminal Court prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo as suspected masterminds of the chaos that left 1,133 people dead and a further 650,000 uprooted from their homes.

The others include: Head of the Public Service Francis Muthaura, Eldoret North MP William Ruto, his Tinderet counterpart Henry Kosgey, Postmaster General Hussein Ali and radio journalist Joshua Sang.

Already, the ICC has summoned the six to appear at The Hague-based court on April 7 for an initial hearing. (Read: Ocampo six ordered to appear at Hague).

Assistant minister Mwangi Kiunjuri maintained that Mr Kenyatta remains the region’s flagbearer in the 2012 presidential race and told other aspiring presidential candidates from the region to keep off.

He said the ICC process was being manipulated to eliminate youthful leaders from the presidential race and claimed Mr Kenyatta had been implicated in the post election violence by Prime Minister Raila Odinga to rig him out of the 2012 presidential contest.

Earlier Saturday, Mr Kenyatta, who is also the Finance minister, and his allies gathered at the Boulevard Hotel, Nairobi before leaving for the Thika rally.

Narc-Kenya leader Martha Karua, who hails from central Kenya, has indicated that she is the running for the presidency.

She has dismissed calls that she throws her weight behind Mr Kenyatta saying that the country is beyond the politics of inheritance.