Mt Kenya Region is Safe in Martha Karua's Hands, President Uhuru Says

President Kenyatta has confirmed that he played a role in the selection of Nark-Kenya party leader Martha Karua as the running mate of the Azimio La Umoja-One Kenya coalition presidential flagbearer Raila Odinga.

Speaking during a meeting with 1,500 religious leaders drawn from all Mt Kenya counties at State House on Friday, Kenyatta said he settled on Karua because he has full confidence in her ability to safeguard the interest of the region.

"I settled on Martha Karua not because she is my friend, in fact you all know Martha and myself hardly agreed on anything there before. She even ran against me in 2012. But I settled on her because I have full confidence that our community is safe in her hands,” Kenyatta told the religious leaders.

Kenyatta further cited Karua’s integrity, principles, and the passion with which she defends the community as some of the reasons that make her the most suitable Mt Kenya region lynchpin.

At the same time, Kenyatta confirmed the recent revelation by Deputy President William Ruto that he was ready to give up the presidency following the nullification of the 2017 presidential election by the Supreme Court. In a meeting with a section of Kikuyu elders last week, Ruto said he nearly slapped Kenyatta after he suggested he would not take part in the repeat presidential election that was boycotted by his competitor Raila Odinga.

While recalling a tense meeting he had with Ruto at State House, the president said he was willing to give up his quest for a second term in office to avoid bloodshed in the country.

“Even if I was slapped because of my decision to resign, I would have asked them to slap the other side… I did not have space for war. There can be no development without peace and stability,” said Uhuru.

“Presidency is not more important than human lives.  Hizi viti umeona tumekalia si muhimu sana kushinda maisha za binadamu (These seats we occupy are not more important than the lives of human beings.”

“In 2017 everybody knows what happened and we reached a point where the 2007/08 post-election violence was about to repeat itself. I do not speak of things that I cannot repeat tomorrow or deny later,” Uhuru told the clerics.

“God is great because even after they (opposition leaders) swore themselves in, thinking I would send police officers to deal with them, I did not do that. I said let them do it, I knew there would be bloodshed and loss of lives.”

Kenyatta insisted that he will retire after the August 9th elections and will not seek to extend his stay in power as alleged by some politicians allied to Ruto.

"I am longing for August 9th, I cast my vote for Raila Odinga and go home. I have served my 10 years and have no interest in extending my time in office even for a day,” he said.