'Meru ni yetu!' Governor Kiraitu Murungi responds to DP Ruto's remarks

Meru Governor Kiraitu Murungi has hit back at Deputy President William Ruto over allegations that he is imposing the presidential candidacy of Orange Democratic Movement leader (ODM) leader Raila Odinga on voters in the county.

This follows a statement made by DP Ruto on Monday that labeled Odinga’s quest for votes in Meru as a complete joke.

According to Murungi, the DP should exercise restraint while asking the people of Meru for votes ahead of next year’s general elections since they will, in part, decide whether he will ascend to the president’s seat or not.

“Usikuje hapa kusema hapa ni kwangu na ikionekana mtu mwingine, huyo mtu anamleta hapa ni mbaya. Kumekuwa kwako lini? Meru ni yetu! Wewe umetutembelea, ni kama mtu anaenda Swiss Alps for skiing alafu ansema hiyo mlima ni wake,” Murungi said.

“Meru ni yetu, sisi tukiwa Wameru ndio tutawasikiliza na tuseme ni nani ambaye tunaona anafaa kuingia kwa hiyo kiti, nafikiri hiyo ndiyo msimamo ya magavana wote wa mlima. Sisi ata tumechaguliwa na watu na tunaskiliza wao so tunafikiri ni makosa makubwa kwenda kutukana watu na unatafuta kura.”

The Meru Governor consequently stated that he has never publicly dismissed DP Ruto, hence the DP has no grounds to lash out at him.

He intimated that the DP may be frustrated at the fact that he has no governors in his campaign convoy, mostly just Members of Parliament, while his competitor has quite a number.

“There is no governor on his entourage, I think it’s some MPs. I think he has identified us, a class of governors, as people who are against his interest and since he thinks we are his opponents he can’t have kind words for the governors in the region,” Murungi stated.

“We expect, even as we disagree, some decency…I myself have never come out to say William is this or that, so him coming to say niko na ujinga, my friend I went to Havard, I couldn’t have gone to Harvard if I was foolish.”