Raila Takes a Swipe at DP William Ruto over 'Hustler' Tag

ODM leader Raila Odinga has taken a jab at Deputy President William Ruto for calling himself a ‘hustler.’

Ruto, who is seeking to succeed President Kenyatta, has been using the term to endear himself to voters ahead of the 2022 presidential election. He has in the past stated that the 2022 succession battle will be between hustlers and dynasties.

But speaking on Saturday, Raila noted that three Kenyan presidents including Jomo Kenyatta, Daniel Moi, and Mwai Kibaki were all hustlers as they hailed from humble backgrounds. 

“I’m the son of the late Jaramogi Odinga, his father was a peasant, look at all the Kenyan presidents, Kenyatta, Kibaki and Moi, they all began poor, they were all hustlers,” Raila said.

Odinga, who spoke at the home of Nominated MP Wilson Sossion in Bomet on Saturday, said DP Ruto should sell his manifesto to the electorate, adding that the term hustler is not new to Kenyan politics.

“We should not be telling Kenyans about poverty, our politics should be about our manifestos and what we will do for the people of Kenya,” he remarked.

He also used the opportunity to drum up support for the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) and the push for a referendum to amend the 2010 constitution. He said BBI will ensure counties receive a bigger portion of the national revenue cake.

Raila had joined Sossion’s family in celebrating his daughter’s admission to the bar, becoming the first female lawyer in Motigo village.