Ruto to Kalonzo: You worked with Raila twice and it failed, work with me in 2022

Deputy President William Ruto has asked Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka to consider working with him ahead of the 2022 General Election.

Ruto was speaking at the funeral of former Cabinet Secretary Cleopas Mailus’s mother who passed away in early January.

The second-in-command lauded the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) saying it has given leaders an opportunity to work together regardless of their political affiliations.

At the same time Ruto said it was about time for Kalonzo to try a different formula as his support of Raila in 2012 and 2017 had failed to yield fruits.

“The only mistake I made is that I failed to tell Kalonzo their candidate would not become president, Stephen, I helped Uhuru become president twice and he is about to retire, my friend, lets walk together… “Ruto said in part.

Kalonzo however steered clear of the discussion saying there exists no pact between him and Ruto on 2022 succesion politics.

“2022 is three years away, I know the news people are here waiting to write that I have met Ruto again, that is not true, Wiper is straight and we are working with Uhuru for the remainder of his term,” Kalonzo said in part.

He was speaking days after it was alleged that he met Ruto in Sudan for secret talks.

On Tuesday, the Standard reported that Ruto had travelled to Sudan on a private one-day trip.

The same publication also reported that Wiper Leader Kalonzo Musyoka had met with DP Ruto briefly at the Khartoum airport on the same day.

Kalonzo later said he was on official mission as the Special Envoy in South Sudan and had not planned to meet with Ruto.

“Nothing pre-planned happened. There was no meeting at all. It is a desperate attempt to say the meeting was pre-planned. The DP was in the company of Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi. Also present at the airport was Kenya’s ambassador Chris Mburu,” Kalonzo was quoted.