You Will Not Blackmail This Nation, President Ruto Tells Raila

President Ruto has castigated the opposition over the planned public rallies to protest the removal of four IEBC commissioners and the alleged attempts by the Kenya Kwanza administration to drag the country back to the old dark Kanu days.

Ruto said the threats by Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition leader Raila Odinga will not derail the government’s development agenda, adding that the Kenya Kwanza administration is focused on resuscitating the ailing economy.

"We will continue without development programs with or without public rallies because we know that they do not want the country's economy to grow," Ruto said.

"They can do as they please but I assure them that Kenya is not going to be the same. You will not blackmail this nation and threaten the people of Kenya. We are determined to move the country forward and you will not hold us back. These people ought to be doing the work of the opposition.”

Speaking during an interdenominational church service on Sunday at the University of Embu Grounds, the president further assured the country that the government will secure their lives and property should the opposition go on demonstration. 

"I have asked CS Kindiki to ask them their demonstration schedule so that we provide security to protect them and they do not vandalize people's property. They should also tell us if they want to demonstrate every day, every month, and for how many years, because we are used to them,” he added.

On his part, Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua told Odinga that his old trick of sponsoring protests to disrupt the government and force a handshake will not work. 

“We do not want a handshake, it is the worst thing to ever happen in our country. The only handshake that we want is with Hustlers through development programs like the Hustler Fund,” he said.