'It Only Happens in Kenya;' Deputy President William Ruto Mocks Raila over Pope Francis Phone Call

Deputy President William Ruto has laughed off opposition leader Raila Odinga's claim that Pope Francis ordered Kisumu Archbishop Philip Anyolo to return a luxury car gifted to him.

Last weekend, Odinga claimed that Pope Francis had instructed Archbishop Anyolo to return the Sh4 million car gifted to him by Ruto during his installation in January.

“Recently, during the installation of Archbishop of Catholic Diocese of Kisumu, someone took a vehicle to the bishop as a gift. When the Pope was informed that the Archbishop had received a car gift, he [Pope Francis] ordered that the vehicle is returned. And, true to his instruction, the car was returned because it was acquired from proceeds of corruption,” said Odinga.

Speaking during the closure of the 6th Annual Devolution Conference in Kirinyaga County on Thursday, Ruto mocked Raila saying there's no way the Pope would have called him. 

“Unajua hii Kenya iko na maneno, and we are very interesting people. In the last election, you [Odinga] said your competitor stole the Eurobond."

"Now, you are accusing the person you perceive to be your future competitor [Ruto] as the one stealing money from dams. And if you are asked: ‘Sasa mkubwa, hii evidence utapeleka Karura [DCI] ama pale EACC, unasema hapana… Najua nyinyi ni wezi kwa sababu nilipigiwa simu na Baba Mtakatifu… Ati, ‘I was called by the Pope’. Really, wewe ulipigiwa simu na Pope? Kweli? Aaah, Kenya… It only happens in Kenya,” poses Ruto amid laughter from the delegates.

He has also accused Odinga of politicizing the war against corruption.

“We must fight the war against corruption, and we can only fight it with the right tools,” said Ruto.