Deputy President William Ruto has lashed out at opposition Chief Raila Odinga for frustrating the country’s development agenda.
In a thinly-veiled message on Monday, the DP termed Mr Odinga as the lord of poverty who was keen on dragging corruption antics on every project the government was engaged in.
“You were against the Eurobond, because you said it is corrupt; you were against the Northern Collector Tunnel, because you said it is corrupt; you were against us building the railway, because you said it is corrupt; you were against us raising money in churches, because you said it is corrupt, raising money in any harambee even for women, because you say it is corrupt,” said DP Ruto.
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The DP, who was speaking during a women empowerment forum in Nyamira County, was responding to Mr Odinga’s criticism over the weekend.
The former Prime Minister had taken issue with Dr Ruto’s continuous donations to churches.
He insisted that the leaders involved in the acts should come clean on the source of money they take to churches every Sunday, alluding that some were proceeds of corruption.
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“It is because you are the lord of poverty and you want poverty in our country. You are opposed to any development in this country because you want people to be poor so they continue to support you and I’m telling you we will work night and day to eliminate poverty in this country so that your kingdom has no place in Kenya and the lord of poverty will have no space in this nation, ” the DP added.
It was not the first time the DP was defending his philanthropic acts.
During this year’s National Prayer Breakfast meeting at Safari Park in Nairobi In May, the DP said giving was one of his way of being grateful to God for uplifting him from rags to riches.
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“I have a confession to make. Sometimes when you see us make contributions here and there, lift up our hands and shed tears, it’s because we cannot forget where God has brought us from. I beg you to understand that some of us have more to thank God for than some of you. Sometimes you judge us so harshly,” he said.
In a separate church service in Molo, the DP Affirmed his passion for God’s work, vowing to continue donating to churches despite opposition from a section of the clergy and political leaders.
The war of words between the two rival leaders has been going on for a while now.
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In March, Mr Odinga slammed the DP for claiming the amount lost in the Arror and Kimwarer dams scandal was a mere Ksh7 billion.
The Orange Democratic Movement leader said the amount in question was “not pocket change to by mandazi”.
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